So I was looking at a “research vessel crew” job advert on beyond.com for the Scripps Institution research vessels, and they list a slew of positions they are hiring for (#67399) The list includes everything from mate to wiper and OS. On the list of “special conditions” all crew must meet it says "STCW (watchstander). Is it possible or even usual for an ordinary seaman (or wiper) to have this qualification? If the answer is “yes”, how do I get one if I am just starting out? (I know you can pay for a weeklong course for BST on your own, but the ad doesn’t say BST)
The way I read it, they want watch standers to have an STCW Cert. Plus it’s very common for HRM folks to confuse STCW with BST. Plus on one of those vessels the OS’s probably aren’t being used as watch standers, think rust-busting, bed-making and dish-washing. (but that’s a guess, having been on other UNOLS research vessels)
As I recall, OS’s can get certified as lookout and watch standing duties, I don’t recall enough to advise you though.