become officer without sponsorship

[Guest]

Is it possible to become a Merchant Navy officer without doing the cadetship?

I have HNC in mechanical engineering and currently doing an FD in marine engineering without a sponsor company. How would I go about taking these qualifications into the merchant navy? I know I would need to go get myself the STCW95 and ENG1 certificates but how would I get the sea time to achieve the MCA certs?

Is it as simple as just applying to companies for 4th engineer positions and gaining enough seatime and working my way up the ranks from there? or is there something I should be doing first?

[Chiefy]

Re: become officer without sponsorship

You wont get a 4th job without your MCA Certificate, you might get a company to take you on as junior, then you do the required sea time for the MCA, then Shiedls I belive run a "How to sit your 4th Orals" course (about a week if memory servers) go do that, book in to see the MCA and Pass (that bit can be tricky though!)

Might be worth phoning around some of the cmopanies and see if they will pick you up now as you are (some one might) which would make life easier for you. Oh and of course they ten pick up the course fees for the STCW courses

[Beef1992]

Re: become officer without sponsorship

I know SSTG have a sceme well did , as a lad on my course was poached by them when he was at LPJM and was paid whilst at uni . he then came to shields to do workshop skills then was due to join ship but he failed his degree so he is now on the FD