Maritime Entry Level | New to the Maritime Field
Training is required for ALL Merchant Mariners! From the newest deckhand, wiper and steward all the way up to the Captain every mariner is required to have training. Training never stops!
STCW Training
Basic Safety Training required for every mariner when you start but also everyone else every five years. STCW Training for the entry-level mariner includes;
- Personal Safety Training- How to save yourself in the water, lifejackets, liferafts, etc.
- Personal Social Responsibility – This is Pollution Prevention.
- Basic Fire-fighting – How to put out fires and save the ship
- Elementary First-Aid and CPR
This training is a lot of fun. It gives you the opportunity to participate in the same training that the Chief, the Mate and Captain get to do. In the pool, at the fire-farm or in an Medical Lab this training is the first hands-on training you will be required to do.
Remember: Everyone has to repeat this training every five years.
Why? Because if you can’t save yourself, how can you save your shipmates?
What Training is Required by the Coast Guard?
The Coast Guard only requires the Basic Safety Training. Companies though may require more training to not only get hired, but to also advance your career and fill the many skilled and required positions aboard their ship.
Most ships are NOT required to have “entry-level persons”, they are required to have experienced “Able Seaman” on board. This is the
Catch-22, They need experienced and skilled persons, but they don’t need to give you the experience.
It is up to you to get both the Sea-Service experience and the mandatory advanced training needed to advance.
Deckhand Training
Training for deck hands may include; a Deckhand Safety-Orientation, Able Seaman, Lifeboat-man and a course called Ratings Forming Part of a Navigational Watch (RFPNW). This is a big name for Look-out and Helmsman formal training.
Engineering Department Training
If you prefer to work in the engineroom rather than on-deck then there are many training opportunities available to you too.
As you get some sea-service under your belt Qualified Member of the Engineering Watch (QMED)is what you need. The QMED hold many Specialties or “Ratings” that include: oiler, electrician, refridgeration and fireman/watertender. With more OJT Designated Duty Engineer (DDE) is your next step.
With your on-the-job training, sea-service experience and formal training certifications the next career move for you is to qualify as a Third-Assistant Engineer.
Food Handler/Steward
The Ship’s cook has one of the best jobs on the ship. If you want to be a cook or a chef, this is the path for you. Besides being required to have the STCW Basic Safety Training, the ships cook is responsible for the preparation of all ships meals. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Night Lunch (mid-rations) every ship has there own favorite recipes and eating habits. Mariners are a diverse group. What meals you prepare for the captain, crew and passengers will need to be tasty, nutritious and plentiful.
The Stewards Department personnel are also resonsible for the ordering of all food-stuffs, supplies, delivery, storage and preparation of the meals and the cleanliness of the galley, messdeck, dining rooms.
