Warsash Maritime Academy delivering MCA new engineering qualification

The MCA has brought into force a new alternative pathway to engineering qualifications. This is to help simplify the number and levels of qualifications across the superyacht and other small commercial vessel sectors. As a result the MCA has pulled together the pre-existing qualifications for engineer officers leading to certificates of competency (CoC) restricted to yachts only, into a single generic qualification called “Engineer Officer Small Vessel Certificate of Competency”. The details for the new pathway are covered within MIN 524.

Warsash Maritime Academy is phasing in the new small vessel certification courses over the coming months: January 2018 start for Second Engineer (Small Vessels) >9,000kW & 3,000GT June 2018 start for Chief Engineer (SV) >3,000kW & 500GT and >9,000kW & 3,000GT The MCA will allow the current Y4, Y3 and Y2 courses to continue to run until 1 July 2021 as per MIN 524, however Warsash will be phasing out Y4 in December 2017, and Y3 and Y2 from May 2018.

Chris Patterson, Head of Marine Engineering, says: “We recognise that the small vessel engineering certification is an exciting new development from the MCA. The structure provides a progressive career path for those across several industries, simplifying the number of qualifications required and allowing engineering officers to transfer their job to alternative industries with the small vessel CoC. We are looking forward to running the new courses from January 2018 at Warsash.”

The small vessel certification is for engineer officers wanting to work on commercial yachts, tugs, large workboats, fishing vessels, stand-by seismic survey vessels, oceanographic research vessels and Government patrol vessels up to 9,000kW and 3,000GT. A CoC gained through this route will be transferable between these industries.