Overview:

STCW Courses are specialized training programs designed for maritime professionals. These courses ensure that individuals meet the global standards for safety, emergency response, and operation of vessels set by the International Maritime Organization. By undergoing STCW training, seafarers are equipped with the necessary skills to perform their duties effectively and safely at sea.

In this Blog, we will try to provide you with a comprehensive guide on the Advanced and Refresher STCW Courses. You will be

1:- STCW Courses

Merchant Navy is a profession known to challenge seafarers regarding various related Merchant Navy Courses. The International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping (STCW) is aimed at standardizing the training aspects of Merchant Navy professionals through Various STCW Courses for uniformity.

India is a signatory to the STCW Convention. Hence, all Merchant navy professionals have to undergo several Basic, Advanced, and Refresher STCW Courses throughout their Careers at sea.

1.1:- Importance of STCW Courses:

• STCW Training forms the basic backbone of the Merchant Navy industry as it aims at providing uniformity in training across the Globe.
• These Courses are mandatory for seafarers to work onboard Merchant Vessels.
• They are aimed at reducing Marine Accidents and have significantly reduced them. Proper Training in Search & Rescue services through these courses has also improved the Safety of Life at sea.
• Tankers and Gas Carriers also require certain specialized STCW Courses to be done by the seafarers. If you complete such courses, you will be more likely to be hired on Tankers, thus aiding career advancement.

1.2:- STCW Courses Classification:

All of the STCW courses that need to be completed by Merchant Navy professionals throughout their sea-going career can be broadly classified as follows:

1. Pre-Sea STCW Courses – Basic Safety Training & STSDSD Course
2. Post-Sea STCW Courses – Advanced Modular Courses, Simulator-Based, Additional STCW Courses
3. Refresher STCW Courses

1.3:- Structure of STCW Courses:

The Basic structure of all STCW Courses, i.e. basic, advanced, or refresher courses is similar. 

It consists of the following 

1. E-Learning on DG Shipping Website
2. Theory & Practical Classes at D.G Approved Maritime Training Institute
3. Passing the DGS Exit Exam

1.4:- Cost of STCW Courses in India:

• To undergo these STCW courses you would have to spend money from your pocket as these would be your certificates.
• Some people confuse the STCW Courses with other company-specific courses. STCW Courses are solely the Seafarer’s responsibility.
• Even when Basic STCW Courses are completed in respective Maritime Colleges, you have already paid for them separately.
• Apart from the Course Fees, you would have to pay the Exit Exam Fees. Each attempt will cost you ₹295. You are allowed to attempt the STCW Exit Exam only 3 times, after which you will have to repeat the entire course.

2:- STCW E-Learning

You need to understand that E-Learning is the most important part when it comes to generating your STCW Certificate. Without completing the E-Learning Course, Access time, and E-learning Assessment, you will not be able to generate the Certificate.

2.1:- Important Points to remember about STCW E-Learning:

1. QUIZ: It is very important to practice the Quiz questions as the Exit exam questions are repeated from the question in the quizzes.

2. All STCW Courses, once registered are available for 6 months and can be accessed at any time of the day. There is no worry about the flexibility of the courses.
3. Report: Review your report at the end of every login session and make sure that you surpass the minimum course hours
4. STCW E-Learning Assessment: It may be helpful for you to take a picture of the Assessment questions as they are often repeated.

3:- STCW Course Near Me

• The best procedure is to follow word of mouth to identify the best Institutes that offer STCW Courses. Generally, Your Seniors will guide you to the correct path and help you choose the most affordable Institute.
• It is important to remember that the cheapest Institute is not always the most appropriate. Hence, it becomes important to do your research and choose the most apt Institute for a specific course

3.1:- How to find the best Institute for STCW Course ‘Near Me’?

• Step 1: Click on the List of DG-Approved Institutes on DG Shipping Website

• Step 2: Sort the List by Typing your city name on the Search Bar at the upper right-hand corner

• Step 3: Call up the Institutes and research the courses offered

4:- Advanced STCW Courses

4.1:- What are Advanced STCW Courses?

• As the name suggests, it is an ‘Advanced course. It means that a seafarer needs to have some Basic Knowledge about the topics of the course to enroll in the advanced courses.
• Most of these courses are mandatory for Sailing officers and may also be done by senior ratings.
• Advanced Courses are required to sit for Certificate of Competency Exams and apply for COC.
• A certain amount of Sea Time is required to be eligible for such Advanced Courses.

4.2:- When to undergo STCW Advanced Courses?

• Most of the courses require a minimum of 6 Months sea-time. It is advised that you plan properly for completing these courses after you finish the minimum sea-time to avoid cluttering at the end moment.
• Some Courses like TASCO, GASCO, etc are not mandatory but the company may ask you to undergo such courses for future purposes. In that case, you will be prompted about the same beforehand.

5:- Advanced STCW Course Fees

The  STCW course Fees vary from institute to institute. The institute that provides the most affordable option for you, should be chosen.

Here is a list of all the Advanced STCW Courses that you may need to complete after finishing your Sea-time as a cadet:

Note: Prices may vary.

To Know more about courses and the 2nd Mate Function exam: Click Here 

6:- Refresher STCW Courses

• We humans, tend to forget stuff as we need to keep in mind hundreds of other pieces of information.
• As the name suggests refresher STCW Courses are to be completed at specific intervals, to prove sustained competence in the respective domain.
• “Seafarers in possession of Certificates issued more than five years ago are required to undertake Refresher Training and demonstration of competence to ensure continued maintenance of standards of competence.”- DG Shipping Website
• They are usually of shorter duration and cost less than the Basic & Advanced STCW Courses
• The best Option for doing the course is to buy a package that provides all 4 Mandatory STCW Refresher courses at once. These Packages are usually Cheaper.

7:- Which STCW Courses Need to be Renewed?

The 2010 Manilla amendments have reaffirmed the need to provide evidence of having maintained the required standards of competency to undertake the tasks, duties, and responsibilities in column 1 of tables A-VI/1-1, A-VI/1-2, A-VI/2-1, and A-VI/3 of the STCW Code every five years.

These courses are:

1. Personal Survival Techniques (PST)
2. Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting (FPFF) (Commonly referred to as Basic Fire Fighting)
3. Advanced Fire Fighting (AFF), respectively.
4. Proficiency in Survival Craft and Rescue Boats other than Fast Rescue Boats (PSCRB)

These are the mandatory refresher courses you will have to do. Apart from these, you might need to do additional refresher courses based on the type of vessel and company you sail with.

8:- Refresher STCW Course Fees & other Details

Here, we have given comprehensive details of all STCW Refresher Courses you might need to undergo. The Prices of these courses may vary from Institute to Institute, so we have provided the average price range across various MTIs in India.

9:- STCW Certificate

• The STCW Course Certificate is generated and automatically uploaded to your Indos profile via the Maritime Training Institute.
• It is important to remember that the certificate will not be generated if the E-Learning and STCW Assessment is not completed.
• It is very easy to download and print the hard copy from the DG Shipping website

10:- How to download the STCW Certificate?

This is the Step-by-Step Procedure for downloading the STCW Certificate from the DG Shipping Website:

• Step 1: Type “Indos Checker” in Google

• Step 2: Click on the First Link on the webpage titled Indos Checker – Directorate General of Shipping

• Step 3: From the drop-down menu on the search bar, select ‘STCW Course’

• Step 4: Fill in your Indos Number & Date of Birth

• Step 5: Click on ‘View’ to Download the STCW Certificate

11:- Conclusion

• This Blog should have given you a fairly Vivid Idea about STCW Courses, which you must complete as you advance in your Merchant Navy Career.
• You have an Idea about the STCW Course Fees and minimum Eligibility criteria that should help you timely plan your STCW Courses.
• Both Advanced and Refresher STCW Courses will cost you money out of your pocket and hence you must make appropriate financial arrangements as well.
• All of these Courses in the Merchant Navy help you build a better career and promote the safety of life at sea and hence should be taken seriously.
• Lastly, The STCW Certificate will only be generated only once you complete the E-Learning along with the Assessment. This Certificate will stay with you for a long time, so you should take these processes seriously.

Disclaimer :- The opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the author and may not necessarily reflect those of Merchant Navy Decoded. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information provided and disclaim any responsibility for it. Data and visuals used are sourced from publicly available information and may not be authenticated by any regulatory body. Reviews and comments appearing on our blogs represent the opinions of individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views of Merchant Navy Decoded. We are not responsible for any loss or damage resulting from reliance on these reviews or comments.

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