Hi all,
I was wandering if anyone else needs required classes, STCW, license upgrades, etc. and has to pay out of their own pocket.
Are there any government programs geared towards the individual and not the company training grants?
I am not in a union and my company does pay for anything.
I am needing the advanced courses for C/M, Master and they are not cheap.
Thanks, and smooth sailing
Hey friend I feel your pain. I spent $31K last year and thought I would have earned it all back by now. I am still looking for a job.
Ouch…tought market out there.
hey 10,
sorry to hear , I know it is tough right now, I am blessed I am employed.
Try Marquette Transportation, their website is pretty informative and they seem to be really growing, even now.
good luck!!
Marquette has a cool little video on their web page:
http://www.marquettetrans.com/careers_working.html
Hi 10,
Feel your pain! When I first got involved in the PMI Workboat Mate program Crowley was going to do the tuition reimbursement like the other companies in the program. I showed up to start it in Jan 07 and they “decided not to do that”… *&^%@! So now I’m studying for a license that I may be able to put to work and have about 30K of debt as well. I’m especially please when I see Tom Crowley giving scholarship money to Mystic Seaport and KP…Sure hope Candies or Chouest are looking for help this summer!
MTSKIER
In Leonard Lamberts book “The New Hawsepipe” There is a few pages that specifically address this question …
In his own life situation, he was able to get some assistance …Might be worth picking it up…
[quote=Shellback;10492]In Leonard Lamberts book “The New Hawsepipe” There is a few pages that specifically address this question …
In his own life situation, he was able to get some assistance …Might be worth picking it up…[/quote]
Thanks for the tip Shellback
Cajuntugster- I am finishing up these Chief Mate classes (Cargo and Stability left to take) and you may want to look into the Drilling companies. (Transocean, Noble, Ensco, Pride, Seadrill, Frontier, Stena) Almost all of them offer to pay for Chief Mate/Master STCW. Most of them will also pay for your travel to and from the classes. The Hotel. Rental Car. Your meals and pay you to be there. It is like a different world how training is handled here.
The drilling and major oil companies lead the way in training and benefits. I have advised young folks who don’t have a college background considering a maritime career to concentrate on the drill ships. They’ll bring in a wiper and turn him out years later as a Chief while picking up the tab for training. Most pay a portion of your salary plus travel, complete room and board while going to school.
My pleasure, sir!
Not that I would take the money & run but do you incur any commitment or obligation if you take advantage of their training benefits?
[QUOTE=captmike;10531] …do you incur any commitment or obligation if you take advantage of their training benefits?[/QUOTE]
Crowley has an AB-to-Mate program where one incurs a three year commitment.
I must have spent at least $50,000 out of my own pocket on the upgrade to chief mate. One company I worked for told me they might consider paying for some of my classes if I would continue to work for them for at least 3 years. I didn’t figure it was worth signing my life away to them for that long for a maybe so I paid for everything myself.
I hear there is some legislation working its way through the process that would help hawsepipers. Grants for training! Too late for me since there is no provision to pay back what has already been spent but it should help people in the future. Lets try to make sure it passes!
Thanks for all the input, I have shied away from drillships because of the hitches, my kids are still young enough where they want me to be around!!!. I have been thinking about DP more and more lately.
I had a mate I used to work with that got a free ride literally, tuition, hotel, food, even a rental car paid for through a new state continuing education program. I believe it was Rhode Island or one of those , the only requirement was you had to be that state’s resident, and you couldn’t play hooky from school or they dropped you.
There is no written obligation for me at the moment. Some of the other companies do. There is a guy here that had a BCO and was a DPO for many years at another company, but they require DPO’s here to have a 3rd Mate’s at a minimum. So they hired him and sent him to 3rd Mate school for all the OICNW course all at one whack. He was paid the whole time. Unbelievable. I have never heard of that happening in my life. Hire a new employee and send him to 4 months of school straight. Good for him and the company.
Cajuntugster-What kind of hitches are you working now? All drilling companies offer equal time rotations. 14-14, 21-21 or 28-28. I can’t imagine your schedule being better than that.