Letter of Initial Assessment
You will need a “Letter of Initial Assessment” if you are following any route other than a MNTB approved Cadetship (minimum 30 months' training) to Engineer Officer of the Watch. You will need the “Letter of Initial Assessment” in order to enrol at a MCA approved training college and it will indicate the training, education and sea service you require to attain your first Certificate of Competence.
You should complete an application form MSF 4352 (see below) and send
with the required documents and fee to Seafarer Training
& Certification Branch, Spring Place, 105 Commercial Road, Southampton SO15 1EG. From the receipt
of your documents, a Letter of Initial Assessment can take up to 28 days to be issued.
| MSF 4352 | Initial Assessment application form (PDF, 109KB) |
We
can only make assessments based on original documentation, apart from the exceptions shown below in
bold (UK Armed Forces & Experienced Seafarer only). You are advised to use registered post for such
correspondence and we will return the documents in the same manner. You should submit:
| All Applicants | Apprentice | Armed Services | EC Graduate (degree/HND) | Yacht | Experienced Seafarers |
| STCW'95 training courses (if any) | STCW'95 training courses (if any) | STCW'95 training courses (if any) | STCW'95 training courses (if any) | STCW'95 training courses (if any) | STCW'95 training courses |
| Relevant specialist training courses (e.g. engine manufacturers course) | Relevant specialist training courses (e.g. engine manufacturers course) | Relevant specialist training courses (e.g. engine manufacturers course) | Relevant specialist training courses (e.g. engine manufacturers course) | Relevant specialist training courses (e.g. engine manufacturers course) | Relevant specialist training courses (e.g. engine manufacturers course) |
| Declaration from employer stating relevant experience | Declaration from employers stating relevant experience | Declaration from employer stating relevant experience | Declaration from employer stating relevant experience | Declaration from employer stating relevant experience | Discharge book OR Certificates of Discharge |
| Apprenticeship papers | History Sheets | Certificates of academic achievement above secondary education | Discharge book, Certificates of Discharge OR Log Book | Sea Service Testimonials | |
| Certificates of academic achievement above secondary education | Certificates of Service | Certified transcript of modules throughout studies (or yet to be taken if undergraduate) | Sea Service Testimonials | STCW'95 Certificate of Competence (including Engine Room Watch Rating Certificate) | |
| Record of Employment | Apprenticeship papers | ||||
| Certificates of academic achievement above secondary education | Certificates of academic achievement above secondary education | ||||
| Note: If the applicant is currently serving then it acceptable to send in copies of your History Sheet and Record of Service, providing they are marked as certified true copies and signed by your Commanding Officer. |
Note: For assessment of eligibility to commence training under the "Experienced Seafarer Upgrade Scheme" (see MGN 278) we accept copies of documents required on board, i.e. discharge books and certificates of competence, providing each page copied is certified true by the Master or Chief Engineer and carries their signature. The person certifying your documents should also supply a separate sheet detailing the following information: Their full name ● Their date of Birth ● The Certificate of Competency number and grade ● The administration under which it was issued We only accept original Sea Service Testimonials |
Please
do not include documentation that is not relevant to your application.
For further details please read:
| MGN 8 | Education and Training Schemes |
| MGN 8 (Amendment) | Amendment to MGN 8 |
| MGN 9 | Procedure for the Issue and Revalidation of Certificates of Competency, Marine Engine Operator Licences and Tanker Endorsements |
| MGN 93 | Certificates of Competency – Engine department |
| MIN 251 | Amendments to the entry requirements for Engineer Officer Certificates of Competency |
| MGN 156 | Certificates of Competency or Marine Engine Operator Licences for service as an Engineer Officer on commercially and privately operated yachts and sail training vessels |
| MGN 278 | Experienced Seafarer to Engineer Officer of the Watch |
Hints
and Tips:
- Please apply early. due to the large number of applications we receive in the approaching months to the deadline for enrolment at a MCA approved training college, your documents can sometimes take longer than 20 working days to process.
- Experienced Seafarer route:
- To be eligible to begin the training programme candidates require at least 12 months sea service (365 days) whilst holding a STCW III/4 Engine Room Watch Rating Certificate. Please ensure you include this certificate with your application.
- The following are not acceptable watch keeping positions:
- Wiper and other ranks with cleaning duties
- Welder
- Reefer
- Asistant Fitter
- Portfolios/ISF Record Books must be completed after your Letter of Initial Assessment has been issued. Portfolios/MNTB Record Books completed before this date will not be accepted.
For
any further enquiries please email engineering@mcga.gov.uk