Top 5 ETO Colleges in India
If you are an electrical enthusiast by passion and want to join ship by profession then you must go for the pre-sea training courses offered by ETO colleges in India. If you desire adventure, thrill, respect, recognition and the most prominent white-collar job in electrical profile then you must start sailing as an Electro Technical Officer. Being an Electro Technical Officer is not an easy task. You need to be tough, physically fit and academically fine to clear examinations and survive onboard ship, but before this you need a certificate of pre-sea training course.
To have a certificate of pre-sea training you need to get into Maritime College, but it is not that easy to get a Sponsorship or admission in the maritime institute, you need hard work and guidance that we are going to provide to you with our free ETO Guidance Series in Merchant Navy Decoded that will help you to clear written exams and interviews as well.
Here comes the dilemma, which college to join for pre-sea training course to create a secure future? An increase in inductees of ETO aspirants in the COVID scenario has led to a decrease in placements. You need to be smart and the best, from the starting of your career. Choosing the right college used to be the biggest deal for an ETO pre-sea training course but after just 5 minutes of reading this blog you will have the answer to the question, ‘WHICH COLLEGE SHOULD I CHOOSE?’.
List of colleges to be preferred for Electro Technical Officer pre-sea training course with a brief description-
1. Anglo Eastern Maritime Academy, Maharashtra
This elite maritime academy provides 17 17-week pre-sea training course approved by the Director General of Shipping. This institute instills enough skills, and knowledge, and prepares Electro Technical Officer aspirants to take responsibilities positively onboard ship. All the major machinery, equipment, and shipboard systems have been established to give the familiarization of the ship’s environment inside the campus.
This institute mainly focuses on the following aspects to prepare the best Electro Technical Cadet-
- Troubleshooting
- Decision making
- Controlling automatic systems
- Safety skills
After the successful completion of the pre-sea training course, AEMA provides secure onboard training as an Electro Technical Cadet onboard ship for a duration of 10 months. The placement is 100% in AEMA. This is the major factor that should be checked before joining any institute. AEMA has maintained its high reputation by consistently providing placements to ETO cadets.
After successful completion of the course AEMA provides Certificates of Competency (CoC) after which a cadet becomes an officer. During the course AEMA provides stipend amount with free lodging and boarding.
The only demerit of AEMA is –
- The slow administration along with a long waiting period depending upon the company requirements. On an average it is 3 months but in the worst-case scenario it may be 6 to 8 months as well.
Fees for the ETO course is INR 3.3 lakhs here. For further queries you may visit Admissions – ETO (aema.edu.in)
2. Samudra Institute of Maritime Studies, Maharashtra
Understanding the specialisation of an Electro Technical Officer, SIMS has been designed their course in a very smart manner to impart the best learning experience to a cadet.
The course best balances –
- Theoretical knowledge,
- Practical skills, and
- Safety
SIMS provides four months pre-sea training along with eight months onboard training as an ETO cadet after successful completion of the course. The batch strength has never exceeded 10 cadets per batch. Every candidate joining SIMS is sponsored by Executive Ship Management. It is seen that other companies like Valles and British Petroleum have also taken students from SIMS. Valles took 4 students from ETO batch – 3 and BP took 1 student from ETO batch – 2.
Major advantage of cadets joining SIMS-
- Students get advantage of ship-in-campus facility.
- The world’s best shipping companies visit campus to hire the trainee cadet.
- Students whose 8th semester result is yet awaited are also eligible to appear for the course.
After clearing Certificate of Competency (COC) examinations, a cadet becomes eligible to be an Electro Technical Officer (ETO) onboard merchant ship. In the initial 3 months of your first sailing contract, you will be getting US $350 and then it will become US $700 for the rest of the months. In the 2nd contract it’s US $1000 and for the 3rd contract it’s US $1500.
The actual waiting period is 2-4 months, but because of the COVID situation it has gone up to 4-6 months.
SIMS demands INR 3.99 lakhs plus taxes including boarding and lodging for certification courses. For getting enrolled you may visit Pre-Sea Facilities (samundra.com). Except this a cadet must fulfil the basic eligibility requirements set by DG Shipping.
3. The Great Eastern Institute of Maritime Studies, Maharashtra
With 4 months pre-sea training course (on-shore) and 8 months on-board training, this institute is one of the best institutes to be trusted for a bright future of an Electro Technical Officer (ETO).
Why GEIMS?
- This is a part of The Great Eastern Shipping Company which is the largest private sector shipping company in India.
- “CRISIL Grade 1” has been assigned to the course for its quality of education. Also, according to Director General of Shipping (DGS) GEIMS is “OUTSTANDING” in the terms of campus facilities, smart classroom, science/ electronics/ electricals laboratories.
- The placement is almost assured in a reputed shipping company.
- GEIMS provides special training of oil and gas industry to the cadets. The G.E. shipping solely owns 47 vessels (tankers, bulk & gas carriers).
- The placement is almost secured here (i.e., 100%). Every trainee gets to board a ship. The Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and Seaspan are sure recruiter of GEIMS.
- The waiting period ranges from 3 months to 6 months, this can also be minimized to 1 month depending upon the company’s requirements.
The admission procedure includes the online registration for the examination. After receiving login credentials, you have to appear in an examination in which you have to clear the cut-off to go for the personal interview round. Even after clearing the interview, you have to be in the merit list to join the course in GEIMS. The merit includes the combined result of past academic result, examination, interview scores along with the medical fitness certificate. After paying the booking amount the candidates will be provided the joining instructions.
The total fee is INR 4.10 lakhs for the entire course. Browse Great Eastern Academy (geinstitute.com) for further information.
4. Tolani Maritime Institute, Maharashtra
TMI prepares excellent Electro Technical Officers (ETOs) with adequate knowledge and skills. Situated in Pune, Maharashtra with a phenomenal infrastructure, workshops, ship-based machineries, etc.
The course is framed to cover a wide range of aspects for the candidates to take the responsibility of an ETO in the best manner. The pre-sea training course includes knowledge on topics such as –
- Familiarization with ship board system.
- Electrical equipment and machineries involved in the operation of the vessel.
- Controlling automatic systems.
- Awareness of the risks involved and imbibing safety culture.
The placement has been the major strength of TMI.
As per the data in 2017 batch whole batch of 13 cadets was placed in Maersk. Similarly, in 2018 Maersk took all the cadets except 4 cadets who left the field of sailing. Even in the recent batch of 2021 all are placed.
Eastern Pacific Shipping conducted two placement drives in the first week of the commencement of the course . They selected 15 candidates in the first visit and 7 in the second. So, a total of 22 candidates were placed in EPS, 2 in Maersk, 2 in fleet and 2 in MSC.
For the October batch of 2021, placement started with the interview of 22 cadets, 4 were successfully placed. Rest are waiting for the result (slowly calls are being made to everyone).
Fleet, MSC, PIL in pipeline and Maersk are expected to come in 2022.
The course provides 4 months shore training followed by 6 months of onboard training as an Electrical Cadet. The waiting period varies from 1 month to 6 months depending upon company to company.
The limited batch strength of 40, makes Tolani Maritime Institute a better option over the other average colleges in India. At the Eastern Pacific Shipping and Mediterranean Shipping Company the trainee cadet onboard ship receives US $550, Maersk US $450, and at fleet US $450. The course commences in the month of March and the application form releases in the first week of January.
The admission procedure includes –
- Test
- Interview
- Medical test
You must make up your mind to join TMI only if, you want flexibility in age limit. The standards of training are good and the placement is secure. 3.15 lakhs is the fees for the ETO course in TMI. Visit ETO Course – Tolani Maritime Institute for applying.
5. Shipping Corporation of India Maritime Training Institute, Maharashtra
SCI is the nation’s carrier and one of the primary shipping lines in the world. Shipping Corporation of India services both national and international trades, practically it owns and operates about half of the Indian tonnage. The bright future of the SCI makes it a better option for the ETO course as, SCI is the only Indian Shipping Company operating liquid and dry bulk service, LNG & LPG carriers, Passenger service, Tankers and Product Carriers.
SCI gives 4 months pre-sea training in Powai, Mumbai and 8 months of ship board training on ships operated by Shipping Corporation of India. SCI directly recruits candidates through its own selection process.
Demerits of SCI-
- The salary is extremely low for the first sail, a candidate gets paid INR 10,000 excluding internet. From the 2nd sail onwards you start getting paid INR 30-35 thousand and in 3rd sail it can go up to INR 85 thousand.
- Only a few SCI vessels have VAST, so 1 GB internet costs around US $10 for 1 month while on vessels with no VSAT, you have to pay US $20 for 1 month to get 100 MB.
- The waiting period used to be just 1-3 months but in the Covid scenario it has risen up to 4-8 months.
- After obtaining Certificate of Competency (COC) the candidate has to sign a bond of indemnity to serve in SCI vessel for the duration of 5 years.
- If any candidate doesn’t do so he/she will be charged INR 3,00,000 (INR 3 lakhs) for the expenses occurred on the skill development of the respective candidate.
The total seats are 40, distributed as-
- Unreserved- 16
- Economical weaker section- 4
- Other Backward Classes (NCL)- 11
- Schedule Caste (SC) – 6
- Schedule Tribe (ST) – 3
SCI offers ETO course in 4.1 lakhs for male candidates and 3.8 lakhs for female candidates. Visit Electro Technical Officer (ETO) – SCI (shipindia.com) for the admission procedure, general information and instructions.
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Thanks for the blog sir! You are very precise with the information, and the amount of hard work you put into helping students is evident in your blogs.
Thankyou and your welcome Nitish. Really glad that you liked the blog, hope it helps!
Thank you sir
Sir i am getting selected for ETO course in Tolani meritime college is it worthy to join tolani institute…or not like have to go with Amet or imi noida…
GO ahead and join , I guess the blog shares all the information
But sir I’m still confused like tolani not providing presponsorship…
Hi Rohit this side Sarvesh I wanted to ask you Which is The best college in India For ETO and Give a review about Tolani Institute
You made be a very 👍🏻
[…] Even after learning about all these hardships in the job of an ETO, if your resolve and dream to become an ETO is still unshakable, then you might want to check out the top ETO colleges in India. […]
Sir I have been selected in IMI
Is the college good for the ETO course??
Please do reply sir…
Hi Pravin, congratulation for your selection in IMI. Now, coming to your question, if you have sponsorship then you can go for IMI, but if you don’t have any sponsorship then you should try for colleges like AEMA and Seven Islands.