Good Step By D.G Shipping🛳........Hope It will Implement Soon⚓

Date: 24.10.2018

Training Circular No.30of 2018

Subject: Onboard training, an integral part of the approved training program for pre-SeaCourses.

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 theMaritime 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 andWatchkeeping requires mandatory on-shore and onboard education and training for a student to be eligible for Certificate of Competency 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 achieving the required approved seagoing service. However, it has come to the notice of the Directorate that the word placement has been misconstrued as the 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 DGS Order 07 of 2016. The Section l.l2 of the DGS Order 07 of 2016 is being replaced in full and may now be read as follows.

1.12 Onboard training programme.
1.12.1 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 certificate 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 a certificate of competency or
certificate of proficiency, to be gainfully employed on ships.

1.12.3 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 a certificate of competency certificate of proficiency, as the case 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 verifiableMemorandum 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 sea-going 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 Institute has to intimate in writing, prior to admission, to every Individual candidate of a PreSea 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 TrainingInstitute.

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
Companies 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 Institute shall ensure that a minimum of 85% of candidates who have successfully completed the onshore 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
onshore 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-SeaCourse students till they obtain the required certificate of competency certificate 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 noncompliance will result in reduction of the MTI's intake capacity for the next batch or withdrawal of approval for the specific pre-sea course.

1.12.9 This Section is applicable to all pre-sea courses except basic five STCWpre-sea modular courses - Personal Survival Techniques (PST), FirePrevention and Fire Fighting (FPFF), Elementary First Aid (EFA), PersonalSafety 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 22January 2O 18.
4. This issues with the approval of the Director General of Shipping and secretary to the Government of India.