Deck and engineer officer training
Ratings training
With the introduction of company employment for ratings, and an increased emphasis on enterprise driven outcomes generally, Shipowners believe training of seafarers must increasingly suit the circumstances of individual operators. As a result significant changes are occurring to the traditional industry approach to training.
Rather than pay levies to fund industry training as the industry once did, companies are looking to invest this money in enterprise specific training programmes.
A large number of enquiries are received from individuals interested in pursuing a career at sea. ASA encourages such individuals to contact companies directly. A list of ASA members companies can be viewed by clicking here. Alternatively, potential new entrants to the industry may choose to undertake pre-seas training courses at the Australian Maritime College to advance their employment prospects. Opportunities about a career in international shipping can be further explored at the web site of the International Shipping Federation.
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Deck and engineer officer training
Set out below is a guide to current courses available for training of Deck and Engineer Officers
Deck Officers
Cadets
A three year programme is offered at the AMC. This course is called an Advanced Diploma in Applied Science(Nautical Science), and has the following features:
an exit point at second mate standard;
a new introductory/pre sea component to replace the current Certificate of Marine Operations, which will be taught in four blocks throughout the year, thereby providing staggered start (and finish) dates;
compliance with STCW'95 and approved by AMSA;
no minimum enrolment required for this course, as the introductory component has elements taught across all disciplines and the classes at AMC are open to the public and overseas students; Australian students pay HECS only;
HSC/Year 12 equivalent.
IR to Second Mate
This course is currently available to private students and IR's. It involves an individual completing a certain period of time (specified in Marine Orders) as "understudy to the officer of the watch," and then eight months study at a technical college or AMC to obtain a second mates certificate.
Companies provide an equivalent programme for company employed ratings.
Links: Australian Maritime College (AMC)
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Engineer Officers
Cadets
There is currently available an Advanced Diploma of Marine Engineering. It is of three years duration and the student obtains an Engineer Watchkeeper Certificate (EWC), and exemptions for written exams through to Chief Engineer. AMC and Hunter Institute (Newcastle) both offer this course, and HECS will not be charged for students at Hunter Institute. The Technical Colleges at Sydney and Fremantle could also offer this course.
Both AMC and Hunter Institute will require a minimum class size of eight, with fifteen as the preferred number of students. However the number of cadets required to maintain class sizes in turn depends on the number of trade trained students (see below), who are doing Parts A and B of their EWC and Short Courses at the same college. The Newcastle course is taught on a modular basis. AMC has two entry points per year and would offer the introductory/pre sea course described for deck cadets.
Trade trained
Several companies have indicated that they intend to recruit trade trained individuals and train them to EWC standard at least. This training will take 18 months to complete, and Marine Orders specifies the trades that are acceptable for this mode of training. They are:
Diesel Fitter
Electrical Fitter
Fitter and Turner
A student must complete Parts A and B of the EWC, relevant short courses and 36 weeks qualifying sea service.
EWC can be obtained from TAFE colleges at Newcastle, Sydney, Fremantle, and AMC. Given the class size requirements referred to above, there is an obvious advantage in concentrating students at a limited number of colleges.
Links:
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Ratings training
The Australian Seafarer Traineeship developed in 1997 was the first major revision to new entrant ratings training since the introduction of the integrated rating classification in the Australian Maritime Industry in the late 1980's. The AST program was a major step in controlling the industry's training costs whilst producing a multi-skilled integrated rating with the necessary skills required on the capital intensive Australian fleet. The AST curriculum currently comprises 36 weeks of structured sea training and 14 weeks initial competency-based instruction at the Australian Maritime College. At the successful completion of the training, the trainee receives a vocational Certificate 3 in Transport and Distribution - Integrated Ratings from the College (course code TDM 30101) and a Certificate of Proficiency issued by AMSA. The course entails approval vocational training under Marine Orders Part 3.
ASA has assisted in administering the AST program, in consultation with operators and the MUA. The last intake of industry trainees finalised their training in January 1999. Most of the industry trainees were readily able to secure employment as integrated ratings in the Australian maritime or offshore industries.
As part of the introduction of enterprise employment, future integrated rating trainees will be employed on an enterprise basis from the start of their traineeship. In February 1999, shipowners and the MUA embarked upon a review of the AST program. From ASA's perspective, the short-term objectives of this review are to streamline the program, make the program more responsive to the employer's specific requirements and to reduce the excessive leave inherent in the current program.
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