Cadet programs for seafarers
Automatic translation
What is the Cadet Program? From the name it becomes obvious that this is a kind of complex of actions that allows beginning seafarers (cadets) to receive certain benefits. In fact, this is the case - cadet programs are aimed at ensuring that cadets and students of various specialties of nautical schools and academies can gain such necessary practical experience at sea without stopping their studies. The result of passing this practice is to gain an advantage when graduating from an educational institution and is in great demand among shipping companies and crewing companies.
Cadet programs
Often, crewing companies have cadet programs that preliminarily conclude agreements with maritime educational institutions. Each such crewing company has a certain quota of cadet places in various specialties (on average 100-150). Thus, if a cadet of any nautical school meets the requirements for participation in such programs, he can count on completing an internship under the cadet program, while receiving payment and without interrupting his studies.
As a rule, among the requirements for candidate cadets to participate in such a program, in addition to the fact that the cadet must study in the 3rd-6th year, there are the following conditions:
- high academic performance (a score of at least 4.5 on a 5-point system is desirable. You will also need a document confirming this fact, for example, a record book or an application with grades);
- a high level of knowledge of a foreign language (spoken English - not lower than the Intermediate level, confident use of English-language maritime terminology, including testing "Marlins", with a score of at least 80%);
- a package of documents, according to STCW (this includes a tourist passport, seafarer's ID, "Training for Seafarers with Designated Security Duties" and "Basic Safety Training")
- successful passing of an interview with mentors (it can be either a captain or a mechanic - it depends on your specialty)
Crewing companies who recruit seafarer students to participate in cadet programs do not charge any fees for their services. However, it must be remembered that quotas are still limited and, even as a student of the nautical school with good academic performance and knowledge of English, you may not get a place in such a program. However, meeting all the requirements significantly increases your chances of success.
Offers to participate in cadet programs
To date, there are a lot of offers to participate in cadet programs, and here the question will already be whether your educational institution cooperates with a crewing or ship-owning company that offers practice when working at sea.
The cadet program is focused on raising its own specialists for the fleet from among the cadets of various maritime academies. Those who successfully completed internship at sea, participants in the program for junior officers, are guaranteed career development and further employment. The company also pays for additional required professional courses. After graduation from an educational institution, a participant in the junior officer program must receive the appropriate certificate and return to the company, which assigns him to one of the company's ships as a junior officer with the possibility of promotion to an officer rank within one or two months.
There are more than one or two such offers from crewing companies and shipowners; you can find all the necessary information on the Internet, in the public domain.
