A lot of students want to pursue A career in Merchant Navy. It is a very popular career option for many. Some do it as they want to become like their fathers and some just take it out of passion to serve the country. Well, if you are from the army and you have grown up knowing how to go about merchant Navy then the job is relatively easy for you. If you are an outsider who does not have much knowledge about Merchant Navy then you must read this article as we are now going to discuss about the importance of STCW courses in Merchant Navy. It is a very important certification that every mariner is expected to take.

Let us first understand what STCW actually is. Well its full form is standards of training certification and watch keeping. It was started by IMO (International maritime Organization). This is a mandatory list of knowledge and expertise that any mariner should have to operate in any part of the world. It is popularly called STCW 95.

All mariners except the mariners from United States must qualify for this. Without this qualification you are not allowed to operate in another part of the world. Once you are done with this course you will become STCW complaint. It is basically a code of conduct that is set by the hundred thirty three member countries of IMO (International maritime Organization). This is a standard that must be met by any mariner who is going to the sea. This code is revised from time to time to meet the ever changing requirements of a mariner. In 1995 it was revised last to incorporate the white list. This divided the countries into white and non-white countries. The non-white countries don’t follow the guidelines in STWC whereas the white list countries always follow as a result it becomes difficult for the non-white country mariners to get jobs in other countries. This was done to make it up to date with the recent changes and make the administration satisfied that the code is now strong enough. Now that you know what exactly STCW stands for and also a bit on the importance of STCW courses in merchant navy we are going to discuss about how do you go about getting certified with STCW.

STCW course is designed so well and it is so vast that it gives a mariner exposure to all most all that he needs to know about operating in the sea. It gives an extensive knowledge about all the types of vessels that are there in the world and how they operate. It gives a great insight into the basic safety training and makes the mariners familiar with rescue process no matter where they are.

These trainings and knowledge help them to become more aware about the sea job all across the world. They are also trained on fire fighting; Medical professionals also need to get this training in case they want to operate in the ship all across the world. Many institutes across the world are training on STCW 95 compliance. You need to collect the application form and pay an application fees. These courses are for working mariners who want to give an international exposure to their careers as a result they can even do these courses as distance learning. The total tuition fees have to be paid at the time of enrolling itself. Three to four weeks before the course begins the students are selected and informed accordingly. The seats are limited and so the selection process is quite tough. The different institutes that are offering these courses have different durations for them. Nevertheless, do check before you enroll that the course is recognized by the International maritime Organization and the certifications that are given. These courses will definitely make you an able mariner who can work on any part of the world. If you are a medical practitioner then you will have to enroll for a different course that gives you exposures to STCW 95 codes but only those which are related to health and safety.
In India NVSI maritime Academy in Goa is known for its STCW 95 course. You can go directly contact them and find out the admission process to get enrolled for their courses. The institute is a reputed one and the certificate can be trusted. International Maritime institute is considered to be the best in STCW courses. You can visit their website and find out more about the same. The course range from a simple three day workshop and they also have some four month course too. You can select any. There are full time part time and also distance learning courses that you can select from. The course fees change as per the duration and the criticality of the course. Once you ask for the application form and the prospectus you will get all the details that you are looking for. Now a days the Indian as well as international institutes are enrolling girls too. The minimum number of students must be five to start the batch. If the number is not reached you will have to wait for the next batch to start, this is the only constraint in these courses.

This is all that we thought you must know about STCW and the importance of STCW courses in Merchant Navy. This is an essential certification that one must complete. It gives a mariner an international exposure as a result they can operate from any part of the world. Irrespective of the vessels and the difference in adeptness they can do this job from anywhere. Hope this will help you understand the importance of this course and do well in your career. It will not be an incorrect to say that STCW has united the world mariners and given their profession and uniformity and a common platform. This is perhaps a great step by IMO in providing equal opportunity to the mariners all across the world and boosting their careers.

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