About the Center

More than 3,500 managers and specialists of large companies and enterprises who have been trained at the International Staff Training Center (ISTC) and subsequently certified by the International Dangerous Goods and Containers Association (IDGCA) work in the Russian Federation and abroad.

The clients of the training center are the largest Russian and foreign organizations, such as PAO «Gazprom», PAO «GMK «Norilsky Nickel», PAO «SIBUR Holding», PAO «Novatek», OOO «UK Global Ports», Company Sakhalin Energy Investment Ltd, Dragon Oil Ltd, McDermott International Ltd, Russia’s largest sea and river ports, stevedoring and logistics companies, container terminals and many more.

The International Staff Training Center has been carrying out educational activities since 2003 on the basis of the state license series 78L02 0000665, reg. 1734 dated February 20, 2016, and the Charter of the Non-profit Organization (ISTC). The ISTC quality management system complies with the ISO 9001:2015 standard, as confirmed by the DNV International Certification and Classification Society certificate, the last audit was conducted in November 2021.

Since its foundation in 2003, the ISTC was located in Strelna at Sankt-Petersburzhskoe Shosse, 47 in the building of Murmansk Shipping Company, but in connection with its reconstruction in 2020, the Center moved to a new address, the same as the legal address: St. Petersburg, ul. Marshala Govorova, 35, offices 436 and 440. In 2020 due to the pandemic ISTC switched to a new technology of teaching. At present, the training process is carried out in a combined format, including both webinars and offline training. The modern equipment provided by ISTC enables trainees to participate in the training process either online or directly in the classroom.

The same format is used for IDGCA final examinations and certification of graduates. Each workplace of the trainee in the training class is equipped with a personal laptop, connected to the Internet and a database of international and national regulatory documents in their latest editions. If necessary, individual students from other cities are provided with laptops to connect to the webinar remotely, for example, in a hotel. All this allows the trainees to gain knowledge in the most convenient form without reducing the level of training.

In between classes, students can relax over a cup of coffee and chat with each other.

For foreign students, training sessions are conducted in English both in person and remotely. Lectures are given by teachers who have a sufficient level of knowledge of English and have passed a special certification.

Training programs are designed for the various areas of industry and transport managers and staff, some of the training programs are based on the model courses of such international organizations as UN, IMO, UNCTAD and other recognized international institutions. Only updated international and national documents are used in the curricula.

The high level of teacher training and teaching methods allow the students to master the necessary material in a short time, to pass the exams successfully, to receive certificates of advanced training and international certificates recognized in Russia and abroad. Having specialists trained at the ISTC helps companies achieve global goals in sustainable business development.

In addition to educational activities, the ISTC provides enterprises and organizations with other services:

Procedural support in obtaining a license by an enterprise for the right to carry out activities on transportation of dangerous goods by inland water transport and sea transport;
Procedural support in obtaining a license by an enterprise for the right to carry out handling activities in relation to dangerous goods in inland water transport, in seaports;
Development of process worksheets for loading and unloading processes (required to obtain a license for the right to carry out handling activities in relation to dangerous goods);
Development of Emergency Response Plans for Containment and Elimination of Accidents at Hazardous Production Facilities (required to obtain a license for the right to carry out handling activities in relation to dangerous goods);
Development of safety data sheets for chemical products;
Other services provided on the basis of standalone agreements;