National Maritime Center Builds Maritime Credential Agent Program
The USCG NMC established a Beta- type “Maritime Credential Agents Program” in October 2007 to assist Maritime Academies and other Coast Guard Aproved schools in streamlining the maritime credentialing process. The Coast Guard found that incomplete and improperly prepared application forms were and continue to be the number one reason for credentialing delays at the NMC.
To help correct this problem the Coast Guard NMC now has trained maritime academies and other maritime schools to act on their behalf. In November 2009, the NMC is offering their Maritime Credential Agent (MCA) Training to the member schools of the Marine Education Standards Council (MESC).
The concept of this “Trusted Agent” type training will assist the MESC schools to help any local mariner through the credentialing process by assisting with the preparation of all required forms, quality control of the application package to the NMC and ensuring the application and all other required documents are fully and correctly completed.
MCA status will allow these Coast Guard Authorized schools to help you prepare your credential and license applications faster.
The Coast Guard has conducted training for about twenty companies and schools from around the country on Novemeber 18th, 2009 at the National Maritime Center in Martinsburg, WV.
Certificates of training were issued to the participants after attending 6 hours of training and completing a test to ensure their competences.
The “Maritime Credential Agent” training will be evaluated by the NMC to ensure that the processess and guidelines are met and that nothing was missed in ensuring that the MCA process will be a success when implemented at a later date.
Of those participating schools, companies and unions, sixteen were members of the Marine Education Standards Council (MESC).