Electro Technical Course Choices

[MopofOliver]

Morning all,

I've applied to a number of companies, but am slightly lost on the courses available at different colleges.

Is anyone at South Tyneside or Warsash as an ETO? Apparently you can only become a full ETO at Tyneside, does anyone know anything about this?

I'm utterly confused and lost so any words of wisdom gratefully received!

Thank yoooou!

[alistairuk]

Re: Different courses/colleges

I could be completely wrong about this - as things may have changed - but I do believe there is no "official" ETO course as such, as the MCA do not have a certification scheme for it?

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[Chiefy]

Re: Different courses/colleges

but it's comming, and STC's is based on the new Cert (again might be wrong), as such might make it easier when finally ratified

[MopofOliver]

Re: Different courses/colleges

I may be wrong, but I was under the impression that following an ETO course at Warsash successfully etc, you qualify with the same FD as engineer officers (Marine Engineering), whereas at Tyneside you'd come out with a FD in Marine Electrical / Electronics...

Do you know if either piece of paper is more use in the long run? Or doing either course currently?

[Brimbo]

Re: Different courses/colleges

to get a regular ETO qualification you have to go through the 3 years as an engineering cadet, in phase 5 you do slightly more electrical based work, then if you qualify that you move to phase 6 for ETO's, as far as I know this is all theory work with no oral exam at the end (for now anyways), the FD course is completely electrical but im not sure on the lengths etc..

[Gazbo]

Re: Different courses/colleges

I've just started at STC on the HND route to become an ETO. Talking to some phase 5 engine cadets I was told that ETO's do more electrical modules in phase 5, have an extra 6 months to complete GMDSS and Navigation equipment maintenance tickets, and sit an oral in which they are asked more electrical questions. He mentions something about differet jobs for an NVQ as well but I cant remember exactly what he said.

I think the scheme for HND ETO's is quite a new one which is why there isn't so much information flying about!

[The H]

Re: Different courses/colleges

Again, this is different in different companies. For example the RFA do not recruit ETOs anymore and have moved onto Systems Engineers, which currently is a separate course.

[MopofOliver]

Re: Different courses/colleges

Oooo, I'm so confused now... Thanks for the responses though. Maybe I'll talk to some other companies etc at Warsash tomorrow!

[MopofOliver]

Re: Different courses/colleges

Do you know much about which is more use in the future? As far as I can work out (from reading websites etc) the STC course is great for the more specialised "technical" cadetships, but is that same piece of paper transferable if I wanted it to be, afterwards. E.g. could I go cruise with it?
I think that makes sense, in a kinda wonky English way.

I think I shall have to ask at the open days and things... Talk to companies as well as lecturers.

[dawg]

Re: ETO courses at different colleges

Quoting myself...

The ETO course at Warsash is not the same as the ETO course at South Shields, so you're comparing apples with oranges there.
The ETO course at WMA is the same as the traditional (mechanical) engineers' course, but with a couple of bolt on electrical subjects to satisfy AMERC (http://www.amerc.ac.uk/). You end up with a traditional engineers' CoC.
The ETO course at SS, is an Electrical and Electronic Engineering course, with none of the mechanical content.
There is currently no CoC at the end of this course, but this year's IMO conference at Manila has started the ball rolling for an "EE" CoC to sit alongside the "ME" CoC (allegedly).
You're very welcome start a new thread on this one (or unearth an old thread on it, if the search form works!). =)

RFA bumpf says that they send their engine cadets to Warsash to do the WMA-ETO route, which in reality means they do the same engineering course as everyone else, and perhaps later will do the two bolt on course (the ENEM, which is a longer one, and the GMDSS repair, which is a short one).
Having seen the ENEM syllabus, it looks like a HNC or the first year of an FdEng in EE. Indeed, there have been SE officers in the RFA with HNCs in EE.
RFA SEs have been direct entry for a few years (it's not that recent), and you need a background in both electrical (e.g.: three-phase motors, PLCs, and industrial generator faultfinding) and electronic (e.g.: digital logic tables, and analogue circuit faultfinding). You probably can't get in with similar backgrounds that lack this content.
If selected, you do an AIB,, and need a higher score (e.g. 180) than for RFA-WMA-ETO (e.g. 150); and then you do the BRNC militarisation (i.e. "brainwashing") programme, and a 4 month intensive course at HMS Sultan base in Gosport, on full pay as a 3/O... which you must pass to secure the job.

Really, the only two ways in as an actual ETO are via the RFA SE route or via the cruise ship STC route.
If or when the Manila 2010 amendments come in, it seems unlikely that the significantly different course content in the WMA-ETO and the STC-ETO course could both lead to the same ETO-CoC.

It'll be interesting to hear what lecturers and companies say, but (not knowing your background) I think you are probably looking at cruise-ship sponsorship (or maybe some support vessel company like Acergy via SSTG?) to STC, and maybe in 5 years there'll be a specific ETO CoC.

As far as course content goes, maths is maths, and all engineering is applied physics, so there's bound to be plenty of similarity or overlap in the classroom (although it may lean towards a choice between further mechanics and further electrical/electronics in the 3rd phase); the main difference might be what you do in the workshop.

refs:
Manila 2010, ETO CoC amendment to STCW95
http://marineinsight.com/marine/stcw-20 ... no-change/

RFA bumpf mentioning WMA-ETO cadetships (out of date)
http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/upload/pdf ... _cadet.pdf

RFA bumpf about SE direct entry (out of date)
http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/upload/pdf/ ... fficer.pdf

WMA-ETO course, with ENEM and GMDSS repair bolt-ons
http://www.warsashacademy.co.uk/courses ... tails.aspx
http://www.warsashacademy.co.uk/courses ... tails.aspx

STC-ETO course
http://www.stc.ac.uk/content/marine-col ... lectronics

[Steve]

Re: ETO courses at different colleges

RFA SEs have been direct entry for a few years (it's not that recent),

RFA SEs have been around for quite a few years now. The branch certainly existed prior to 2000s. Originally formed from a merger of electrical officers (dark green) and radio officers (light green), cross-trained as required. Entry requirements... whatever you've described, more or less, YMMV.

[The H]

Re: ETO courses at different colleges

Please try linking the current files if you must link files at all.

Current SE information document
http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/linkedfiles ... 2010_a.pdf

Current cadetship information document
http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/linkedfiles ... 2010_a.pdf
(Notice there is no reference to Engine cadets, they are referred to as ETOs)

[dawg]

Re: ETO courses at different colleges

(Notice there is no reference to Engine cadets, they are referred to as ETOs)

Alright, but the stuff that clarifies that point is not freely available online.

From that document:

while as an Officer Cadet (ETO), you?ll study for either a HND or FDEng in Marine Engineering.

That sentence implies that all RFA "ETO" cadets can only go to WMA, because that's surely the only place where you can do an ME course on a cadetship and come out with the term "ETO" on a bit of paper.

If the same content is covered in the course at SS as at WMA, then there must be quite a difference in course intensity. It just seems like the term "ETO" is not being used "consistently", lets say.
It seems plausible that (in order to be able to be described as an ETO as in the bumpf) RFA-ETOs at WMA do the ENEM and GMDSS repair courses at the tail end of their cadetships, so as to keep them in sync with the courses that lead to the ME CoC,.
It may be that it's possible for them to get the new EE CoC as well eventually... who knows!

[The H]

Re: ETO courses at different colleges

All RFA "ETO" cadets are sent to WMA, the term ETO is used instead of engine. Stop stating what you don't know.

[chris]

Re: ETO courses at different colleges

all very interesting, I was trying to answer the same CoC question last May and opted for STC, and I have very little interest in engines etc although some of the workshop tasks the engine cadets get look interesting.

If you can, try and get to both open days to check out the workshop facilities. STC has recently replaced their high voltage faciliity, I consider the workshop and staff to be really good.

http://safety4sea.com/article.php?id=1189