"For more than 50 years, ABS has been committed to working alongside the builders in Korea to promote mutually beneficial services to foster knowledge transfer and safe operations," ABS chairman Christopher Wiernicki.

"This MOU is a sign of our continuing commitment to work with all stakeholders in this consortium to provide practical training solutions to meet today's most pressing challenges."

The framework of the MOU is to establish classroom training and coaching sessions for technical and management-level members within KOSHIPA on offshore engineering concepts and principles applicable to the maritime, oil and gas industries.

As one of the leading shipbuilding nations, South Korea is home to some of the most prominent and productive yards in the world.

ABS opened its first Korean office in the port of Busan in 1961, and was on hand to offer support when Korea targeted shipbuilding as a strategic industry for national growth in the 1970s.

Over the years, ABS has worked closely with Korean shipbuilders as they have built up their yards and expanded their capabilities.

"This MOU with ABS will strengthen learning for Korea's premier shipbuilding companies through structured on-the-job training and coaching to promote individual competencies in offshore," KOSHIPA executive vice president Dr Young-Ju Suh said.

The range of technical courses, covering drilling and production as well as offshore engineering concepts, will focus on transferring useful practical skills. Employing a hands-on approach to training will give participants the opportunity to learn by doing to promote the safe and controlled application of new skills in the workplace.

KOSHIPA was established as a non-profit organisation in 1977, at a time when the Korean shipbuilding industry had just made inroads into the world shipbuilding market. Ten shipbuilding companies, capable of building ships of 5000 gigatonnes and over, are members of KOSHIPA: Dae Sun Shipbuilding and Engineering, Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering, Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction, Hyundai Heavy Industries, Hyundai Mipo Dockyard, Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries, Samsung Heavy Industries, ShinaSB Yard Co, STX Offshore & Shipbuilding, and Sungdong Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering.