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A necessary step up
Created in 2011 in Saint Nazaire, the SNSM National Training Center has seen its activity grow steadily. In just over a decade, the number of training courses delivered has quadrupled, driven by the increase in rescue missions, the diversification of water sports and the wider recruitment of volunteers.
With fewer and fewer people coming from the traditional maritime professions, today's lifeguards at sea need to acquire broader technical, operational and regulatory skills, against a backdrop of increased responsibility and growing judicialization of interventions. Current infrastructures, though functional, are reaching their limits.
A website dedicated to maritime safety
The future center will be located near the basins of the former Saint Nazaire submarine base, at the heart of an area dedicated to maritime activities and safety at sea. With a surface area of around 3,500 m², it will house classrooms, simulation areas, nautical resources, storage areas, changing rooms and technical facilities.
The clear objective is to double the SNSM's current training capacity. Ultimately, the site will be able to accommodate more than 4,000 trainees a year by 2030, combining theoretical instruction with practical experience on immediately accessible bodies of water.
Recognized, structured training
For several years now, SNSM has been working on structuring its training courses. These are now approved by decree of the French Ministry of the Sea and listed in the Répertoire spécifique de France compétences. They cover all operational fields: navigation, search and rescue, team first aid, crew management, individual and collective safety, as well as coastal surveillance.
This framework enables the SNSM to deliver training recognized as professional, while retaining the voluntary basis of its commitment. The future center will reinforce this approach to skills transmission, based on field experience and rigorous training.
Timetable and outlook
Construction of the new National Training Center is due to start in 2026, with commissioning scheduled for 2028. This will be an unprecedented project for the SNSM, both in terms of surface area and capacity.
For the maritime and nautical industry, this future site illustrates a fundamental trend: the increased professionalization of rescue workers, at the crossroads between volunteer work, training leading to certification and the safety requirements of a constantly evolving maritime activity.
