GWO Classes

Professional Mariner Forum
1

With all the talk and action to accelerate wind power in the United States I thought I would do a search about required competencies. GWO is the accepted certification body. From their website,

"“We have developed a process to help you assess existing qualifications, training and curricula. ’ Merit Assessment ’ gives you the tools and process to compare your courses with GWO standards. Your existing training can then be audited by a GWO-appointed certification body. By the end of the process, your employees’ training can be converted to a GWO certificate.”

While this is catered, from what I understand to Employer members of GWO, it makes me wonder if somehow US employers could count STCW training here?

I know that seems too good to be true. It will be an added increase however to mariners working on wind vessels, having not only to keep up with TWIC, STCW, Medical Certificate, MMC, DP, and now GWO classes every 24 months? Or am I misunderstanding which certifications would be required on jones act vessels and United States companies?

2

It’s annoying people can’t do a combined GWO/STCW course for some of the stuff as they are pretty much the same courses. But you need to do GWO refresher courses every 2 years instead of every 5 years for STCW.

3

Agreed, 24 months is a racket

4

I think you only need the GWO courses if you are actually going to set foot on one of the wind turbines. Crew working on wind support vessels who don’t actually go onto the wind turbines don’t need the GWO courses.

I think at some offshore wind farms the ABs on the wind support vessels go up onto the wind turbine to do some jobs, so they need the STCW and GWO courses, but the bridge team never actually set foot on the turbine as they are just driving the ship so they don’t need the GWO courses.