CAREER PATH

Deck Officers

After completion of the prescribed training and sea service detailed below, the candidate shall be eligible to appear for the examination for his Certificate of Competency (CoC Class III) as a Deck Officer in Charge of a Navigational Watch (Operational Level), which shall entitle him to be employed as an officer on board ship at Operational Level (3rd or 2nd Officer).

The next step up the ladder would be to qualify as an officer at Management Level which includes the ranks of Chief Officer (2nd in command) and the ship’s Captain (Master in command of the ship). This shall require sea service according to the table below:

Approved Sea Service

STCW 95 defines seagoing service as time spent on board a ship, relevant to the issue of a certificate or other qualification. The period of sea service required for certification varies with the level of certification and the training programme followed. The minimum requirements for the issue of a deck officer certificate of competency are shown in the Table below.

Summary of Sea Service Requirements Competency

Unlimited trading area; unlimited ship size for Certificates of Competency

Capacity	VQ Level in Marine Vessel Operations	Min Age	VQ. Route (Vocational Qualification)	Examination route
OOW unlimited (II/1)	VQ Level 3	18	36 months (reduced to 12 months if following an MNTB approved course of VQ training)	36 months with at least 6 months bridge watch-keeping under the supervision of the Master or a certified OOW.
Chief Mate unlimited (II / 2)	VQ Level 4	18	16 months Watch keeping service whilst holding a Il/1 certificate.	18 months Watch keeping service whilst holding a Il/1 certificate.
Master unlimited (II/ 2)	VQ Level 4 plus additional units	18	36 months watch keeping service whilst holding a Il/1 certificate, including at least 12 months whilst holding a Chief Mate unlimited II/2 certificate. OR 24 months watch keeping service whilst holding a II/1 certificate, including at least 12 months whilst holding a Chief Mate unlimited II/2 certificate and sailing as Chief Mate.	36 months watch keeping service whilst holding a II/1 certificate, including at least 18 months whilst holding a Chief Mate unlimited ll/2 certificate.

Unlimited trading area; Ships less than 3,000gt

Capacity	VQ Level in Marine Vessel Operations	Min Age	Sea Service Required
OOW unlimited (II/1)	VQ Level 3	18	36 months (reduced to 12 months if following an MNTB approved course of VQ training)
Chief Mate (II / 2)	VQ Level 3	18	6 months watch keeping service whilst holding a II /1 certificate
Master (II/ 2)	VQ Level 4	18	36 months watch keeping service whilst holding a II/1 certificate, including at least 12 months whilst holding a Chief Mate unlimited II/2 certificate. OR 24 months watch keeping service whilst holding a II/1 certificate, including at least 12 months whilst holding a Chief Mate unlimited II/2 certificate and sailing as Chief Mate.

Marine Engineers

Table for Qualifying Sea Service Requirements for Certificates of Competency by the VQ Route:

STCW 95 Reg III/1 OOW	Minimum watch keeping on main propulsion machinery or UMS duties (on ships of 350kW or more)	Total minimum sea service
Motor (M)	4 months on motor ships	6 months
Steam (S)	4 months on steam ships	6 months
Combined Steam & Motor (S & M)	8 months (4 steam and 4 motor)	8 months

STCW 95 Reg III/3 2nd Engineer ships less than 3,000 kW	Minimum watch keeping on main propulsion machinery or UMS duties (on ships of 350kW or more)	Total minimum sea service (with III/1 certificate)
Motor (M)	9 months on motor ships	12 months
Steam (S)	9 months on steam ships	12 months
Combined Steam & Motor (S & M)	18 months (9 steam and 9 motor)	18 months

STCW 95 Reg III/2 2nd Engineer Unlimited	Minimum watch keeping on main propulsion machinery or UMS duties (on ships of 750kW or more)	Total minimum sea service (with III/1 certificate)
Motor (M)	9 months on motor ships	12 months
Steam (S)	9 months on steam ships	12 months
Combined Steam & Motor (S & M)	18 months (9 steam and 9 motor)	18 months

STCW 95 Reg III/3 Chief Engineer ships less than 3,000 kW	Minimum sea service while qualified to serve as III/3 2nd Engineer (on ships of 750kW or more)	Total minimum sea service
Motor (M)	12 months (9 months of which in charge of watch or UMS duties on motor ships)	30 months
Steam (S)	12 months (9 months of which in charge of watch or UMS duties on steam ships)	30 months
Combined Steam & Motor (S & M)	18 months (9 steam and 9 motor in charge of watch or UMS duties)	30 months

STCW 95 Reg III/2 Chief Engineer Unlimited	Minimum sea service while qualified as III/2 2nd Engineer (on ships of 1,500kW or more)	Total minimum sea service
Motor (M)	12 months (9 months of which in charge of watch or UMS duties on motor ships of 3,000 kW or more)	36 months
Steam (S)	12 months (9 months of which in charge of watch or UMS duties on steam ships of 3,000 kW or more)	36 months
Combined Steam & Motor (S & M)	18 months (9 steam and 9 motor in charge of watch or UMS duties on ships of 3,000 kW or more)	36 months

GP-III (General Purpose Ratings)

Options for GP-III’s:

After 12 months sea service and 20 hours steering experience (for AB only-not applicable to Engine Watch keeper) certified by the Master, can be eligible to take the examination for promotion to Rating Navigational Watch keeper (AB); or Rating Engine Watch keeper (Oiler/Greaser) if worked in Engine Room.
After 24 months sea service on deck, can be eligible to take the examination for EDH (Efficient Deck Hand) with prospects for promotion to Deck Bosun with experience.
If holding Intermediate (Pre-engineering group); or Higher Cambridge or GCE ‘A’ Level with Physics and Mathematics in each level, can qualify to appear for the Class III CoC examinations, subject to completing 36 months sea service as a Rating on Deck or Engine with prescribed watch-keeping training as indicated above, and then avail all the benefits and career path as described for the Officers above.

However the requirement for holding higher education certificates i.e. Intermediate (Pre-engineering), Higher Cambridge or GCE ‘A’ Level only applies in Pakistan, and does not apply in other countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, and Singapore etc.

Capacity

VQ Level in Marine Vessel Operations

Min Age

VQ. Route (Vocational Qualification)

Examination route

Capacity

VQ Level in Marine Vessel Operations

Min Age

Sea Service Required

STCW 95 Reg III/1OOW

Minimum watch keeping on main propulsion machinery or UMS duties (on ships of 350kW or more)

Total minimum sea service

STCW 95 Reg III/32nd Engineerships less than 3,000 kW

Minimum watch keeping on main propulsion machinery or UMS duties (on ships of 350kW or more)

Total minimum sea service (with III/1 certificate)

STCW 95 Reg III/22nd Engineer Unlimited

Minimum watch keeping on main propulsion machinery or UMS duties (on ships of 750kW or more)

Total minimum sea service (with III/1 certificate)

STCW 95 Reg III/3Chief Engineerships less than 3,000 kW

Minimum sea service while qualified to serve as III/3 2nd Engineer (on ships of 750kW or more)

Total minimum sea service

STCW 95 Reg III/2Chief Engineer Unlimited

Minimum sea service while qualified as III/2 2nd Engineer (on ships of 1,500kW or more)

Total minimum sea service

STCW 95 Reg III/1
OOW

STCW 95 Reg III/3
2nd Engineer
ships less than 3,000 kW

STCW 95 Reg III/2
2nd Engineer Unlimited

STCW 95 Reg III/3
Chief Engineer
ships less than 3,000 kW

STCW 95 Reg III/2
Chief Engineer Unlimited