**Executive Summary**
Training Circular No. 30 of 2018, issued by the Directorate General of Shipping on October 24, 2018, addresses complaints regarding onboard training for Pre-Sea Course candidates. It clarifies the Directorate's stance on onboard training, replacing Section 1.12 of DGS Order 07 of 2016 and superseding Section 16 of DGS Training Circular 01 of 2018. The circular emphasizes the importance of onboard training as an integral part of approved Pre-Sea Course programs.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Onboard Training Mandate:**
* Mandatory onshore and onboard education and training are required to be eligible for Certificate of Competency or Certificate of Proficiency.
* Maritime Training Institutes (MTIs) must arrange placements for shipboard training to achieve approved seagoing service.
* **Revised Onboard Training Programme Standards:**
* The STCW Convention 1978, as amended, provides standards for training and certification.
* Approved training program consists of onshore education and training with approved seagoing service.
* **MoU Requirements:**
* MTIs must have verifiable Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Shipping Companies or DGS approved RPSL Companies for providing onboard training for their entire intake.
* MTIs must admit only candidates for whom arrangements are in place under the MoU.
* MTIs must inform candidates in writing about onboard training arrangements prior to admission.
* The Maritime Institute is ultimately responsible for completion of onboard training for all candidates.
* **Sponsorship and Exemption:**
* Existing MTIs achieving commencement of onboard training for 85% of their students within one year of completion of course are exempt from submitting onboard training sponsorship letters for already approved Pre-Sea Courses.
* Additional courses or enhanced capacity require submission of onboard training sponsorship letters for 100% of the enhanced capacity.
* **Compliance:**
* MTIs must ensure 85% of candidates commence onboard training within 12 months of course completion.
* MTIs must maintain records of Pre-Sea Course students until they obtain certification.
* Non-compliance may result in reduced intake capacity or withdrawal of approval.
* **Applicability:**
* This Section applies to all pre-sea courses except basic five STCW pre-sea modular courses: Personal Survival Techniques (PST), Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting (FPFF), Elementary First Aid (EFA), Personal Safety and Social Responsibility (PSSR), and Security Training for Seafarers with Designated Security Duties (STSDSD).
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: Maritime Training Institutes (MTIs)**
* **Impact:** MTIs must ensure compliance with onboard training requirements, establish MoUs, and maintain student records. Failure to comply may lead to a reduction in intake or withdrawal of course approval.
* **Action Required:** Establish MoUs, ensure 85% placement rate within 12 months, maintain detailed student records, and obtain clearance from the Directorate before admitting new students.
**Stakeholder: Pre-Sea Course Candidates**
* **Impact:** Candidates are entitled to onboard training, as it is integral to the approved Pre-Sea Course program. The circular aims to ensure candidates receive timely placement and training support.
* **Action Required:** Inquire about onboard training arrangements prior to admission and ensure they meet eligibility requirements for assessment and examination.
**Stakeholder: Shipping Companies / DGS Approved RPSL Companies**
* **Impact:** Increased engagement with MTIs to provide onboard training opportunities through MoUs.
* **Action Required:** Establish and maintain verifiable MoUs with MTIs to facilitate onboard training for students.
**Stakeholder: DGS**
* **Impact:** Obligation to check compliance and maintain updated records of MTIs and onboard training.
* **Action Required:** DGS Computer Cell must upload the document on the DGS Website, and the Hindi Cell must translate the document and upload it on the Website.
Key Entities Referenced
Directorate General of Shipping: The issuing authority and regulator for maritime affairs.
STCW Convention 1978: The International Maritime Organization (IMO) convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, which sets minimum qualification standards for seafarers.
Training Circular No.30 of 2018: The specific circular being analyzed, focused on onboard training for pre-sea courses and related requirements.
Maritime Training Institutes (MTIs): The organizations responsible for providing pre-sea training and ensuring compliance with the Directorate's regulations regarding onboard training.
DGS Order 07 of 2016: A previous order being superseded by this circular, specifically Section 1.12, relating to onboard training.
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IS/ISO Clause No.Z.l
MUMBAI
Ref.: QMS Subject: Onboard training,
an integral part of the approved
7.O training program for pri-Sea TR/POL/8(7
)/2018 of
Page 1 of 5 Courses. TRAINING BRANCH
Issued by
the
Director
General
of :
Date 24.10.2018
Shipping
&
Secretary Training Circular No.3O of 2olg
to
the Govt. of
India
1. The Directorate is in receipt of complaints from candidates of various
Pre-Sea courses that they are not being provided with onboard training,
which is an integral part of their approved training programme, by the
Maritime Institutes. The candidates have also expressed concerns that
such incomplete training is serving no purpose and also there are no
takers even in any other industry. In many cases they are being made to
wait endlessly to even start their onboard training and once started there
is no support from the Maritime Institutes towards monitoring and
achievement of the required approved seagoing service.
2. Since the IMO convention on Standards of Training, Certification and
Watchkeeping requires mandatory on-shore and onboard education and
training for a student to be eligible for Certificate of Competency or
Certificate of Proficiency examination; the Directorate has issued Orders
making it mandatory for maritime training institutes to arrange for
placement of their Pre-Sea Course students for shipboard training for
achieving the required approved seagoing service. However, it has come
Page 1 of 5achieving the required approved seagoing service. However, it has come
to the notice of the Directorate that the word placement has been
misconstrued as placement for jobs instead of placement for onboard
training towards completion of the approved training programme. In
order to provide clarity, the Directorate now replaces Section 1.12 of the
l.l2
DGS Order 07 of 2OL6. The Section of the DGS Order 07 of 2016 is
being replaced in full and may now be read as follows.
t.t2 Onboard tralniag progranme.
t.L2.r The STCW Convention 1978, as amended in 2010 provides the standards
for training, certification and watchkeeping and India is a Party to this
Convention. The STCW Convention defines the competence required and
the methods for demonstrating competence to be eligible for acquiring the
certilicate of competency or certificate of proficiency to be eligible to serve
on ships.
1.12.2 The STCW Convention 1978, as amended and the M.S. STCW Rules,
2014 prescribes approved training programme for various certifications
and consists of approved education and training, workshop skills
training, special training, approved training record book, minimum
period of bridge/engine-room watchkeeping duties, minimum period of
approved seagoing service etc as applicable. Compliance to these
requirements is a prerequisite for the candidates to complete their
training programme and to obtain the eligibility to apply for the
assessment and examination for obtaining certificate of competency or
certificate of proficiency, to be gainfully employed on ships.
t.t2.3 The Sections 1.12.1 and 1.12.2 clearly indicate that the approved
training programme as required by the STCW Convention 1978, as
amended consists of an approved training programme that is a
combination of onshore education and training with approved seagoing
service. Any approved Pre-Sea Course if not provided with the minimum
prescribed approved seagoing service for each individual candidate
making him eligible to apply for the assessment and/or examination for
obtaining certificate of competency or certificate of proficiency, as the
Page 2 of 5case may be, shall not be considered as fulfilling the requirement of the
respective approved training programme. The maritime training institute
desiring to seek approval for conducting any Pre-Sea Courses should,
therefore, be fully capable of providing the required period of approved
seagoing service, as above, to all its candidates in a time bound manner.
1.12.4 The maritime training institute shall have in advance verifiable
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Shipping Companies having
office in India or DGS approved RPSL Companies for providing onboard
training towards achieving the required period of approved seagoing
service for their entire intake capacity.
1. 12.5 The maritime training institute shall admit only such number of
candidates for which they have arrangements with Shipping Companies
or DGS approved RPSL Companies and covered under the MoU as
mentioned in clause 1.12.4 above, for the onboard training requirements.
The Maritime Inslitute has to intimate in writing, prior to admission, to
every Individual candidate of a Pre-Sea Course about the arrangements
already in place for their onboard training and same details have to the
forwarded to the Directorate. Irrespective of any frustrations in the MoU
for onboard training the ultimate responsibility for the completion of
same for all candidates shall rest with the Maritime Training Institute.
The Directorate reserves the right to nullify or disapprove any MoU for
onboard training without citing any reasons to the Maritime Training
Institute.
1.12.6 The existing maritime training institute conducting Pre-Sea Courses, if
have achieved, commencement of onboard training for 85% of their
students within one year of completion of a course is exempted from
submitting onboard training sponsorship letters for the batches already
approved for that Pre-Sea Course by the Directorate. However, for any
additional course or enhancement of the existing capacity will require
submission of onboard training sponsorship letters for the 100% of the
enhanced capacity. The existing institutes, which have not achieved,
commencement of onboard training for 85% of their students within one
year of completion of course shall submit verifiable MoU,s from Shipping
Page 3 of 5Companies having office in Indian /RPSL companies and must obtain
clearance from the Directorate before admitting new students and
commencement of admission.
1.12.7 Notwithstanding any of the above, all the Maritime Training Institutes
shall ensure that a minimum of 85% of candidates who have successfully
completed the on shore education and training of a Pre-Sea Course shall
commence with their onboard training programme within 12 months
from the date of completion of the course and also endeavor to complete
their full requirement of approved seagoing service in the shortest
possible time, with minimum delays and waiting periods. Candidates who
are not placed for onboard training within one year of completion of their
on shore education and training shall have priority over the next batch of
students in same course and their numbers shall be also included while
calculation of the minimum requirement of 85%.
1.12.8 The maritime training institute shall maintain records of all the Pre-Sea
Course students till they obtain the required certificate of competency or
certilicate of proficiency as the case may be. These records shall include
all the details of their training programme including the on-shore and
onboard training. These records shall be subject to verification during
approval inspections, CIP inspections, scheduled inspections, surprise
inspections and visit by officers from the Directorate or Allied offices. Any
non-compliance will result in reduction of the MTI's intake capacity for
the next batch or withdrawal of approval for the specific pre-sea course.
t.t2.9 This Section is applicable to all pre-sea courses except basic five STCW
pre-sea modular courses - Personal Survival Techniques (PST), Fire
Prevention and Fire Fighting (FPFF), Elementar5r First Aid (EFA), Personal
Safety and Social Responsibility (PSSR), and Security Training for
Seafarers with Designated Security Duties (STSDSD).
3. The contents of this Training Circular is also meant to replace and
supersede Section 16 of DGS Training Circular 01 of 2018 dated 22
January 2O 18.
Page 4 of 55. This issues with the approval of the Director General of Shipping and
Secretary to the Government of India.
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Asstt.Director
General of Shipping
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