Mariner Skills’ student population vary from entry-level to seasoned mariners. Mariner Skills has proudly served the global US Military Port Safety and Security members through our Maritime Cyber Security Course.  The feedback from Students is the measure of the organization’s performance strength. Mariner Skills’ online courses have received highly positive responses from our student community.  Below are some typical student feedbacks from our students.

The best part of this course was that I was able to take the course at home and continue working. The e-books and videos increased my knowledge.

 Sean F. 09/06 Tankship Dangerous Liquids

The overall user interface, helped to establish a great efficiency for learning and overall results.

Justin Z. 06/06 Tankship Dangerous Liquids

The best part of this course for me was the quizzes and the practice exams.

Shaylah W. 08/01 VPDSD

The practice exams, and the materials used were most useful for learning. In addition, the note section and instructors’ advice especially helped support me during my learning process. Overall, the course was very informative, and I would recommend it to friends and family.

Mherlie D. 08/01 VPDSD

The best part of this course for me is that allowed me to learn at my own pace. The videos and reading materials included in the training increased my knowledge and skills in the subject matter. My instructor helped me gauge my study hours keeping me on track prior to taking the final exam.

LeRoid J. 09/29 Basic Polar Code

The best part of this course for me is that it was self-directed and that I could move at my own pace. The quizzes after each section were good practice. The objective was clear. The instructional materials increased my knowledge and skills on the subject matter. I liked how the e-book showed a progress bar, telling you how much more you had to go through it was encouraging to see the bar increase as I chunked out study hours.

Kristofer B. 08/09 Basic Polar Code

I took the Advanced Liquefied Gases course. The course covered the course requirements, had sufficient explanations for new concepts and was helpful to meet my objectives. I found that the terms in the course were clearly defined and very useful. The shipboard procedures were very detailed and was valuable for my learning.

John B, Advanced Tank Ship Dangerous Liquids

Overall a positive experience!  The course instructor’s willingness to advise and help me was especially helpful for my learning.  I appreciated the time availability, as well as the incredible staff!

The course was clearly written and current.  I am appreciative of the course content, its length and details which were helpful and effective.  I would recommend this course to others.

Bruce M, Advanced Tank Ship Dangerous Liquids

This course was well organized and structured, and met my expectations. I really liked the flexibility to complete the required course material and the organizational structure. The ability to study at your own pace and not be restricted to specific slides or times was extremely helpful. Excellent class helped reach my professional goals. I would highly recommend this course.

Thor P, Advanced Tank Ship Dangerous Liquids

This course was well organized and structured. The course, quizzes and assessments complemented each other. My course instructor was highly knowledgeable and current with the field and subject.

Andrew T, Advanced Tank Ship Dangerous Liquids

The course material was very detailed material and I learned things I did not know prior to taking this class. The videos in the course were very helpful. I am very satisfied with the course.

Chris M,Able Seaman

My course instructor was very helpful and responsive. The course was well organized and covered the material well. It was a great way to get this class done and still be able to work a full time job.

Legend D, Tank Ship Dangerous Liquids

Overall this course exceeded my expectations. I found course was very well written and covered the course objectives very well.

Nick G, VPDSD

The best part of this course for me are the multiple-choice questions. I found it made me look at the questions from many angles. The content of this course is extensive and interesting. The thing I like best about you as an instructor is responsive when needed. Enjoyed the course and look forward to the next.

Les D, Basic Polar Code

The best part of this course for me is taking it at my own pace online. The videos were also helpful in summing up the above lessons. For me, the content of this course is detailed and thorough. It walked you through the basics of IT and moved all the way through putting the concepts into action.

Christopher S, Maritime Cyber Security

The best part of this course for me is that it was self-paced and online. I was able to take my time reviewing the material, and took the quizzes and assessment whenever I felt I was ready. For me, the content of this course is extremely valuable. This information will be useful when I am conducting international port security assessments. The thing I like best about you as an instructor is you were prompt in responding to my email.

Daniel G, Maritime Cyber Security

The best part of this course for me is the option to read material versus only videos For me, the content of this course is appropriate.

Taylor C, Maritime Cyber Security

Very detail material I learned things I did not know prior to taking this class. The videos in the course were very helpful. I am very satisfied with the course.

Christopher M, Able Seaman

I am very glad it was available online during this time. Course material is available for this course, the eBooks seemed to cover the material. I will recommend to other marines.

Patrick Z, Able Seaman

E-book was good overall. I would highly recommend and will be back

TW, Able Seaman

It was a great way to get this class done and still be able to work a fulltime job.

• Candidate are enrolled into the online learning portal by the admin/support team
• A welcome email to the candidates provides all the necessary access credentials
• Numerous help videos and online help facilities guide the candidates through Course Navigation and other important aspects of their online learning
• Candidate dashboard provides easy access to the various features of the LMS
• Candidate are provided self-assessment opportunities to ensure instant feedback on their learning
• Candidate are provided practice assessments by their course online instructors as part of the course completion readiness
• The Student Learning Report and other available LMS reports provide granular and macro view of a candidates’ progress through the training course

Access to faculty

Mariner Skills’ students/candidates have access to the course instructor.  Candidate are able to get their questions answered by email and if necessary.  Additionally, course instructors are available to assist students through online video conferencing.

Course content in e-Books in the Learning Management System

The success of the online e-Learning system depends to a large extent on the quality of the course content in the e-Book of the course. The content must be exactly in line with the syllabus of the course as prescribed. The content must address each topic exactly and must not be too exhaustive nor too weak in content. The tendency to flood the e-Book with irrelevant content must be strictly curbed. The content should be user friendly, with videos and pictures to explain the topics vividly.

Quiz incorporated within the e-Book

As the student goes through the course, he/she will attempt the Quiz, which is available at the head of each main topic. The purpose of the Quiz is for the student to gauge his/her own performance, before taking the final assessment. The Quiz questions appear in random whenever he/she clicks the tab. Ten questions appear each time he/she clicks the tab, and every time different questions appear (depending on the number of questions in the bank, more in crucial topics, less in others).  

End-of-course online Assessment

With the concurrence of the requirements of the USCG, ABS and Class NK, the end of program assessments require a minimum passing score of 70%.  Students are allowed up to THREE (3) attempts to achieve this target.  The LMS is configured such that each of the attempts offer a unique set of questions, with little or no duplication across attempts.

Benefits of online and blended courses

One of the challenges of a maritime career is that the job takes professionals away from home for long periods of time. 6-months on and 4 months off is a typical engagement, especially in ocean-going vessels.  Add to this the need for training as part of professional growth.  Mariner Skills’ online courses allow the students to learn from any place, at any time, and at their own pace.

The USCG has approved a number of STCW courses as 100% online courses.  Some of the Basic Safety courses are approved under a Blended engagement with the student.  These changes to training modalities allow maritime professionals to maximize time at home and with the family.

Mariner Skills offers a wide range of online and blended courses.  These include STCW Training like Basic Polar Code Training, Tank Ship Dangerous Liquids – Basic and Advanced, Tank Ship Liquefied Gases – Basic and Advanced, etc.  Similarly, Mariner Skills offer a wide range of Navigation courses and Marine engineering courses like Able Seaman Course, Officer in-charge of navigation watch (OICNW) Course, Designated Duty Engineer (DDE) course, etc.

Training whilst sailing

In 2021 Mariner Skills launched its online training courses to ship personnel whilst they sail!  No need for Internet connections! Mariner Skills courses are now packaged in USB drives that allow the maritime professional to spend their “free time” during sailing towards career advancement. Almost all aspects of the online experience are offered through courses packaged in USB drives. The maritime professional only needs to take the final exam (the course completion exam) through Mariner Skills’ learning portal to satisfy the flag state or Class Society approval requirements.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) introduced the concept of e-Learning within the revised STCW 2010 Convention.

Mariner Skills is offering a large number of STCW and Professional Development courses, most of them approved by the USCG, ABS or Class NK.  Mariner Skills is an ABS approved training organization.  Mariner Skills, in collaboration with Learn America, is offering a large number of USCG approved STCW modular courses.  The US Coast Guard has approved the use of Remote Proctoring to conduct course completion final exams and upon successful completion to issue USCG approved completion certificates to candidates globally.  USCG approved modular courses offered by Mariner Skills include, Basic Polar Code Training, Tank Ship Dangerous Liquids, and Tank Ship Liquefied Gases.

The backbone of Mariner Skills’ online courses is an eBook that incorporates text, illustrations, animated videos which include interactive elements, and self-assessment quizzes.  The courseware is aligned to IMO model courses and address the requirements of the applicable NVIC.

Professional Development Courses

Mariner Skills serves the mariner community beyond statutory requirement courses.  We offer a wide range of professional development courses.  The three Ship Superintendent Programs: Ship Superintendent General, Ship Superintendent Marine and Ship Superintendent Technical are the crown jewels of the organization. These three programs cover the essential knowledge and training requirements of the on-shore shipping industry management personnel.

Our popular courses

By far the most frequently requested and accessed courses relate to Polar Code Training.  The Basic Polar Code Operations course if a USCG approved training course offered online, accessible anytime, anywhere.  This self-paced course has been popular globally with a number of candidates successfully completing the course.

Within the US the inland and near-coastal fleet requirements result in large number of candidates seeking certification in Tank Ship Dangerous Liquids and Tank Ship Liquefied Gases.  Candidate from many of the major organizations with large inland fleet have enrolled and successfully completed our courses.

Maritime Cyber Security is another popular course.  With the global awareness of cyber threats and the focus of the industry on these threats, Maritime Cyber Security in a frequently sought-after course.  To Mariner Skills’ credit, a large number of candidates from the US Military Port Safety and Security Force stationed in Europe enrolled and successfully completed our training course.

From a professional development viewpoint, the three Ship Superintendent Programs: Ship Superintendent General, Ship Superintendent Marine and Ship Superintendent Technical are sought-after by industry professionals.

Ballast water plays a key role in vessel stability and safe ship operations.  As the water which is taken onboard a ship to maintain stability by safeguarding a low center of gravity, ballast has other purposes. Reasons for ballast water are, but not limited to, assisting with maneuverability, decreasing stress on the hull, offsetting weight changes in various cargo load levels and fluctuations in the onboard fuel reading.

To respond to the increasing concerns regarding the affect that ballast water discharge has in global waters and maritime environments when released by a vessels, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) implemented The rules of this Convention entered into power globally in September 2017,

Given the need for checks and balances when dealing with vessels, the oceans, and the water environments specifically, a Ballast Water Management System has become a priority topic.  A system which requires mariners to be the trained to man.

Ballast Water Management – BWM regulations require foreign and domestic flag vessels to abide by the Ballast Water discharge standards in the US waters. The United States Coast Guard (USCG) will check BWM activities and procedures onboard for reporting and recordkeeping as well as check for reporting timeliness, accuracy, and completeness.

The ship’s BWM plan includes crew training to be validated during vessel and port state inspections.

To help Shipping and Ship Management companies, Mariner Skills offers completely online training for MRNSKL–949 Ballast Water Management. Completely online modules are available to your crew members Anytime, Anywhere, 24/7, and allow your mariners to fulfill the Final Assessment requirement remotely.  This accessibility eases the burden of training while working to assist your organization in the area of compliance.

If this BLOG resonates with your organization, contact us today to discuss at +1.203.939.1514 or by emailing to info@marinerskills.com. We look forward to serving you!

The STCW Convention –

The key to maintaining a safe shipping environment and keeping our oceans clean lies in all seafarers, across the world, observing high standards of competence and professionalism in the duties they perform onboard. The International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers 1978, as amended in 1995 and again in 2010, sets those standards, governs the award of certificates and controls watchkeeping arrangements. Those provisions not only apply to seafarers, but also to ship-owners, training establishments and national maritime administrations.

The STCW convention was adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in 1978 and came into force in 1984. During the late 1980s, it was clear that STCW-78 was not raising professional standards worldwide, and so IMO members set on to amend it. This was done in the early 1990s, and the amended convention was then called STCW-95.

The 2010 Manila amendments was intended to include all agreed changes since 1995, address new technology, inconsistencies, interpretations and outdated provisions. There was an overall commitment to harmonize the amended STCW Convention, where practical, with the provisions of the 2006 ILO Maritime Labor Convention.

Whereas the STCW-78 Convention focused almost entirely on knowledge, the emphasis of STCW-95 was shifted to practical skills and competence underpinned by theoretical knowledge. The 2010 amendments continued to emphasize competence rather than sea service or period of training. The standard set by the convention applies to seafarers of all ranks serving on sea-going merchant ships registered under the flag of a country party to the convention.

The STCW 2010 Convention has already been accepted by all major labor suppliers and shipping registries. This is more than 98 per cent of the world’s merchant fleet.

The STCW Convention is a book that consists of three sections.

1. The articles: Outlines all the legal responsibilities of the party
2. The annex: Gives technical details on how the legal responsibilities should be met.
3. The STCW Code: Elaborates on the technical details contained in the annex. It contains part A and part B.

Part A: Mandatory standards of training, certification and watch-keeping.

Part B: Recommended guidelines (not mandatory) on training, certification and watch-keeping.

Administration: The government of the Party (country) whose flag a ship is entitled to fly. An administration deals with, amongst other things, regulating the training, education and certification of seafarers, in accordance with the requirements of the convention.

Approved: This means that a national maritime administration has approved a training program or seagoing service because it meets the requirements of the amended STCW Convention.

Mariner Skills’ STCW training programs are approved by the USCG.  Some of the USCG approved courses include, Basic Polar Code Training, Tank Ship Dangerous Liquids, and Tank Ship Liquefied Gases.

Function: This is a way of classifying shipboard tasks by functions and levels of responsibility. There are seven functional areas, at three different levels of responsibility.

The levels of responsibility are: Management level (applies to senior officers); operational level (applies to junior officers); and support level (applies to ratings forming part of a navigational or engine watch).  Typical Deck or Navigation courses categorized as operation-level requirements include Able Seaman Course and Officer In-Charge of Navigation Watch (OICNW) Course.  Marine Engineering Courses at the operations-level include Designated Duty Engineer (DDE) course and the QMED Series of Courses including Junior Engineer, Electrician, Refrigeration Engineer, etc.

Party: A country where the STCW Convention has entered into force. A party is under the obligation to implement the standards contained in the convention.

Standard of competence: This term refers to the minimum knowledge, understanding and proficiency that seafarers must demonstrate to gain certification. The tables contained in part A of the STCW Code specify the standards of competence to be achieved by the seafarer. The thinking behind dividing all duties on board into competencies, functions, and levels of responsibility is that certificates should be awarded on the basis of the specific duties the seafarer carries out on-board rather than on ship departmental divisions (deck/engine).

Certificates: The term ‘certificates’ covers all official documents required under STCW. It includes certificates of competence, endorsements, certificates of proficiency, and any documentary evidence showing that a requirement of the convention has been met. Every party to the convention has to ensure that certificates are only issued to those seafarers who meet STCW standards.  For example, certificate of competency for Navigation Able Seaman Course and Officer In-Charge of Navigation Watch (OICNW) Course, and COC for Marine Engineering include Designated Duty Engineer (DDE) course and the QMED Series of Courses including Junior Engineer, Electrician, Refrigeration Engineer, etc.

Certificate of competence: This document is issued to masters, officers, radio operators and ratings forming part of a watch who meet the standards of competence relevant to their particular functions and level of responsibility on-board.

Mariner Skills’ portfolio of USCG approved competency courses include, Able Seaman (AB) and Designated Duty Engineer courses.  Both courses are offered as online self-study programs and allows candidates to learn while they work or while they are at home, without having the need to take time off to attend an on-campus program.  Mariner Skills’ and Learn America, our USCG approved course development partner, are working to get USCG approvals for the Officer In-Charge of Navigation Watch (OICNW) and a number of management level Navigation Courses and Marine Engineering Courses.

Endorsement: A document issued to masters and officers, either as part of the certificate or as a separate document. This attests (endorses) that the national certificate has been issued in accordance with all STCW requirements. It is required that all endorsements are only issued by the administration after fully verifying the authenticity of any certificates and documentary evidence, and the candidate has fulfilled all requirements and has the standard of competence for the capacity identified in the endorsement.

Endorsement of recognition: This endorsement certificate is issued by an administration as an official recognition of the validity of a certificate issued by another administration. This procedure is necessary as many merchant fleets are manned by seafarers certificated by other administrations. In other words, if you hold a certificate from country ‘x’, but you are serving on a ship registered in country ‘y’, then you need to apply to the maritime administration of country ‘y’ for a certificate authorizing you to serve on ships registered under its flag. Under the 2010 STCW Convention regulation I/2 all seafarers serving on foreign ships must obtain an endorsement.

Masters, chief mates, chief engineers or second engineers applying for an endorsement of recognition are also required to demonstrate knowledge of the maritime legislation of the flag state issuing the endorsement.

Certificates of proficiency: These are documents issued to the seafarer to certify that he or she has met the required standard of competence in a specific duty. These certificates include certificates for personnel serving on certain types of ship (tankers, and passenger ships) and for those assigned with safety, security and pollution prevention duties. It certifies that the holder meets STCW standards of competence in specific functions related to safety, care of persons, or cargo.

Basic safety training for officers: Officers serving on any type of ship who are designated with safety and pollution prevention responsibilities in the operation of the ship need basic safety training. Such training must cover personal survival techniques, basic fire prevention and firefighting, elementary first aid, and personal and social responsibilities. This requirement applies to practically all officers serving on merchant ships. Cadets assigned with these duties also need to complete basic safety training before going to sea. Basic safety training should be documented as having taken place within five years of the officers being assigned to safety and pollution prevention duties.

Simulator training under STCW: The only mandatory simulator training under STCW has been that relating to the use of radar and ARPA. STCW 2010 also makes use of simulators for training in electronic chart display and information systems (ECDIS) a mandatory requirement during training. In these specific cases, simulators are the only accepted methods of demonstrating competence. In all other instances, approved simulator training and assessment is not mandatory, being just one of the methods accepted by the convention for training and demonstrating competence. (The use of other methods such as in-service experience or training ship experience are equally acceptable.) This category of optional simulator training and assessment covers navigation and ship handling, cargo handling, GMDSS communication, propulsion and auxiliary machinery.

Simulators need to comply with prescribed standards. This does not imply that all simulators need to be highly expensive and complex electronic artefacts. Although certain simulators, such as radar or ARPA, do fall under this category, other tasks can be taught and assessed using more basic simulators. Instructors and assessors engaged in simulator-based training need to be properly qualified in the use of such equipment.

English language requirements: Under the STCW Convention, all officers in charge of a watch (navigational or engineering) must have a good command of spoken and written English. Senior officers with functions at a managerial level must also speak and write English, since this is a requirement at the previous level of responsibility. Ratings forming part of a navigational watch are required to be able to comply with helm orders issued in English. Crew members assisting passengers during emergency situations should be able to communicate safety-related issues in English or in the language spoken by the passengers and other personnel on board. n these days of multi-national and multi-lingual crews, the importance of sharing a common language cannot be underestimated.

The use of distance learning and e-learning: Administrations may now allow the training of seafarers by distance learning and e-learning in accordance with the standards in section A-I/6 and the convention now contains substantial guidance.