How To Join Merchant Navy as Electro-Technical Officer (ETO)?
Eligibility
- Hold a Electrical/ Electrical & Electronics/ Electronics and Communication/ Electronics and Instrumentation engineering Degree or Diploma. If anybody just finished his final year examinations and their result got published and do not get the Degree in that case the candidate need a provisional certificate issued by the College or University.
- The candidate should have score 50% Marks in their degree to get Admission in any college. Most College prefer to have candidate who scored 60% more than 60%.
- Hold national passport.
- Medically fit and get a certificate from Dg Shipping approved medical center.
About the Course
- The Name of the course is Electro-Technical Officer Course.
- It is a pre-sea training of 4 months conducted in the maritime institute.
- Age Limit less than 35 years. But Colleges conducting the course have set their own age Criteria. Check the eligibility on the official website of the institute.
- Both Male & female can apply for this course.
- The candidate have to Physically present (live and study) in Maritime College Campus.
- This Bridging course provides knowledge about familiarization of various types of ship, Electricals & Electronics systems, Various Maritime Rules & Regulations and Safeties required onboard ship.
Documents you will receive from the Institute
- You will receive a Continuous Discharge Book (CDC) also known as sea man book.
- Basic STCW certificates which includes Fire Fighting, personal survival techniques, Medical First Aid and security Training for Seafarers with Designated Security Duties.
- ETO course Completion certificate.
Colleges/Institute/University which provides ETO course in India
- AMET University
- Tolani Maritime Institute
- Samundra Institute of Maritime Studies
- Anglo Eastern Maritime Academy
- Great Eastern Institute of Maritime studies
- International Maritime Institute
- HIMT College
- Coimbatore Marine College
- Ganpat University
- BP Marine Academy
- Euro Tech Maritime Academy
- RL institute of nautical Science
How to get admission into these institutes?
- Every institute which conducts the course have their own eligibility in terms of age limit and marks
- They Conduct their own entrance tests.
How to select a college?
- The most important thing that matters is get job as trainee to begin the ETO journey by getting good knowledge.
- Institutes provides sponsorship in collaboration with various companies and some Institutes brings oppostunity as placements during the course. Ask the institute about past records, research and get connected with the students who are already studying there.
Sponsorship
Sponsorship means before commencement of course you get selected in a company and after you get finish the course the shipping company send you as trainee on their ship. Sponsorship guarantees 100% job security after successful completion of the course.
Placement
Placements means, a candidate enroll in the course. The shipping company visits the college and hire students by conducting online test followed by an interview. There is no guarantee of job. It placements depends on credibility of the student and depends on demand and supply.
Career Progression
Joining as Trainee
- Trainees have to waits for some time to get ship after completion of course
- When you join First time onboard you will be assigned a rank of Trainee Electro technical officer/ Electro-technical Officer Cadet/ Electrician Cadet/ Electrical Cadet. The rank naming can vary company to company but it basically mean the same that you are a trainee.
- When you Joined as trainee you don’t have any technical responsibility except safety of your self and actions must not cause safety of others and Ship.
- As a trainee you will learn and gain knowledge by assisting and involving in various jobs performed by the electro-technical officer and other engineer officers onboard ship.
- Stipends provided to trainee is between 600- 1800 USD.
- Maximum working for every seafarer is 14 hours and 10 hours rest in a day this is as per Maritime Time Labor Convention. The working can be less depending on the company and management onboard.
Electro-Technical Officer Certificate of Competency Exam
- After you complete your training of at least 8 months, you are eligible to give Electro-Technical officer Certificate of Competency Exam conducted by DG Shipping Of India.
- To Apply for exam, advance stcw courses has to be done by the candidate which includes advance fire fighting, medical First Aid & Proficiency in survival craft and rescue boat & High voltage management level course.
- After completion of these course the candidate is eligible to book the exam.
- The exam consists of written and oral exam conducted in various DG shipping exam center’s Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai & Kochi etc.
- After Successfully passing the exam you will receive Electro-Technical Officer Certificate of Competency. Short form ETO-CoC , STCW -III/6. Now you are are a certified Electro technical Officer.
Joining as Electro-Technical Officer Job
- After finishing your training company can offer you to join as Junior ETO/Assistant ETO/Electrician/ ETO/ EO.
- Candidates also become officer without holding a ETO CoC, but the very few opportunity available and have to work at lower wages.
- Candidates holding a Eto Coc get lots of opportunity with a good salary.
- Now lets come towards the job. Electro-Technical Officer is exciting and more of mind job but of course a physical job too. The responsibility includes but not limited to the repair and electrical/electronics maintenance of Lighting System, Navigational equipment, Generators, Main Engine, Purifier, Boilers, Gangways, Cranes, Various switchboards, Fire fighting Equipment’s, Galley & laundry equipment’s etc.
- Managing Electrical & electronics Inventory.
- Co-ordination with office in purchase of spares and alternative spares.
- Doing necessary documentation work related to the jobs.
- ETO gets support from office for critical & sophisticated electrical and electronics problems. Some jobs are carried by Shore electrical engineers on board in a convenient port.
Note:
- Important thing to know about Merchant Navy job that it is mostly contract based job, meaning you will only get paid when you are working onboard. Once you got a job, Company offers you join back and they will give another contract for next assigned ship.
- Very few companies provide 12 months salary with a condition, that you have to work certain amount of days in a year or have to be in fixed rotation. For example 4 month on (have to work onboard) and 2 months off(vacation).
- Salary ranges from 3200- 14000 USD depends on the type of vessel/ platform, responsibilities, nationality and risk involved.
- The LNG ships paid highest among other type of cargo ship.
- Dynamic positioning 3 & special purpose research vessels pays the highest in offshore sector.
- Oil Rigs also paid very good salary compared to cargo ships.
- In passenger vessel sector cruise pays the highest to if you become Chief ETO.
Contract Duration (+/- 1 month or few days)
- When you join a vessel due to ship route, availability of candidates and crew change crew change facility. Companies provide +/- 1 month or few days which means they can signoff before completion of contract or can extend your contract based upon +/- period.
- Cargo ships- 3 months, 4 months, 5 months and 6 months.
- Offshore vessel and special purpose vessel- 60 days, 90 days 120 days.
- Oil Rigs- 30 days & 45 days.
- Cruise & yacht- 2months, 3 months, 4 months & 5 months.