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ABOUT INSPECTION

Over the past years, since its inception, the Inspectorate for the Training and Certification of Seafarers (ITCS) has done a lot of work to improve the national system of training and certification of seafarers, to create a regulatory framework consistent with international requirements. The achieved results allow Ukrainian sailors to work on ships under the flags of almost all countries of the world, in all basins of the World Ocean, contribute to maintaining the high authority of our maritime personnel, increase the positive image of Ukraine. A single State Register of Seafarers' Documents has been created, which provides reliable control over documents issued to seafarers in our country to confirm their professional competence. With the participation of ITCS, the Maritime Administration has signed agreements on the recognition of diplomas of our seafarers with 53 countries. ITCS staff develops and publishes numerous informational, training and reference materials on training, competence assessment and certification of seafarers, prepares reports in the IMO and much more. The large and multifaceted activity of the ITCS is bearing fruit: in recent years the level of professionalism of Ukrainian seafarers has significantly increased, their demand in the world maritime labor market has increased.

Main tasks of ITCS are:

  • analysis of international and national experience in the field of training, assessment of competence and certification of crew members of sea-going merchant vessels;
  • confirmation of seafarers' qualifications in permanent state qualification commissions (SQC), as well as confirmation of seafarers' documents certifying their qualifications;
  • representation and protection on behalf of the Ministry of Infrastructure in the IMO of Ukraine's interests in training, assessment of competence and certification of seafarers.

ITCS in accordance with its tasks:

  • creates permanent SQCs to confirm the qualifications of seafarers;
  • maintains a register of all documents issued on the territory of Ukraine, the validity of which has expired or been extended, or which have been suspended, or which have been annulled or declared lost or destroyed, as well as maintains a register of preferential permits issued;
  • confirms the validity of documents;
  • on behalf of the Ministry of Infrastructure considers draft regulations, standards and other documents on training, assessment of competence and certification of seafarers, provides its comments and suggestions to them;
  • prepares and publishes analytical, reference, informational, educational, methodical, popular science and other materials on training, assessment of competence and certification of seafarers;
  • on behalf of the Ministry of Infrastructure organizes research and scientific-methodical work on improving the national system of training, assessment of competence and certification of seafarers; participates in their implementation;
  • on behalf of the Ministry of Infrastructure represents and protects in IMO the interests of Ukraine on training, assessment of competence and certification of seafarers, analyzes and coordinates proposals of ministries, other central executive bodies on consideration of these issues in IMO and submits generalized proposals to the Ministry of Infrastructure, prepares reports and other information in the IMO;
  • performs other functions to perform the tasks assigned to the IPDM in accordance with current legislation of Ukraine.

In carrying out its main tasks, ITCS provides services in the field of shipping safety, including:

  • examination of knowledge and confirmation of seafarers' qualifications in permanent state qualification commissions, as well as confirmation of diplomas, qualification certificates and other documents of seafarers specified by the legislation of Ukraine;
  • testing the knowledge of employees of dangerous goods by sea and river transport;
  • issuance of certificates certifying the recognition of diplomas in accordance with the requirements of Rule 1/10 of the STCW Convention;
  • maintaining a register of all documents of seafarers issued on the territory of Ukraine and confirmation of their validity.

The process of providing these ITCS services is regulated within the ITCS quality management system. The quality management system of ITCS is certified in the prescribed manner by the certification body - the Register of Shipping of Ukraine. Certificate for quality management system № UA 2.036.08150-15, issued on 11/18/2013 and valid until 11/17/2018. The procedure for validation of the Certificate for the quality management system provides for annual inspection of the system. During the validity of the certificate of conformity, the central office and all branches of ITCS were covered by the inspection audit.

ITCS includes a single State Register of documents of seafarers and branches located in the cities of Izmail, Mariupol, Mykolaiv, Odessa.

The Unified State Register of Seafarers' Documents is a structural subdivision of the ITCS and operates in compliance with the requirements of paragraphs 14-16 of Regulation I / 2 of the STCW Convention and the ITCS Regulations.

The responsibility for the functioning of the unified State Register of Seafarers' Documents rests with the ITCS. According to the Regulations on maintaining the unified State Register of Seafarers' Documents, its main tasks are: 

  • obtaining, accounting and accumulation of information on qualification documents of seafarers of Ukraine (certificates of competence and their confirmations);
  • receiving and accounting information from maritime educational institutions regarding educational documents;
  • receiving, accounting and verification of information from the NTZ regarding certificates at the end of training courses in certain areas;
  • verification of the validity of documents of Ukrainian seafarers certifying their qualification and providing the results of such verification to interested parties;
  • maintaining the necessary databases, technical protection of information in accordance with current requirements.

The list of information entered into the unified State Register of Seafarers 'Documents in accordance with paragraph 12 of Section VI / 6 of the STCW Code, format, data transfer regulations, responsibility for verification of provided information are defined by the above-mentioned Regulations on the Unified State Register of Seafarers' Documents.

Today, the unified State Register of Seafarers 'Documents records more than 700,000 seafarers' documents issued by captains of seaports of Ukraine, more than 1.9 million NTC certificates (accounting has been carried out since 1998). The information is entered in Ukrainian and English.

The documents entered in the unified State Register of Seafarers' Documents are distributed depending on the status of the document at the moment, namely:

- valid;

- canceled;

- expired;

- action suspended;

- lost (declared lost);

- destroyed.

The information is updated daily and updated during the inspection. The system provides backup of databases and takes effective measures to protect information and more.

When assessing the competence and confirming the qualifications of seafarers, the validity of documents on education, qualifications and training provided by seafarers to the SQC must be checked in the State Register of Higher Education Documents, the only State Register of Seafarers' Documents. It is obligatory to establish that the provided medical certificates are valid and issued by the medical institutions approved by the Ministry of Health.

The SQC confirms the qualification of seafarers in the amount of approved ITCS programs in the areas using modern methods of assessment of knowledge, skills and abilities using computer tests, simulators, ship and laboratory equipment, oral and / or written interview.

From 01.07.2013, the SQC's competence assessment is carried out according to programs that fully cover the requirements of the Manila Amendments to the STCW Convention.

The candidate's competence is assessed by demonstrating to SQC members:

  • personal qualities required for the award of a rank or confirmation of qualification, entitling him to hold a position corresponding to that rank / qualification on a seagoing vessel. The assessment is carried out by interview;
  • opportunities to apply knowledge and skills to perform their duties on board. It is determined by: preliminary computer testing; written examination and oral examination.

SQC decisions are recorded in the minutes of the SQC meeting, which certifies the compliance of the seafarer's competence with the requirements of the STCW Convention and national requirements. On the basis of this protocol, seafarers have the right to obtain from the captain of a seaport the appropriate diploma or certificate of a specialist and confirmation to him to hold the relevant position on a seagoing vessel. The protocol itself does not give a seafarer the right to hold certain positions or perform certain functions. Other documents required to obtain qualification documents include educational documents, documentary evidence of mandatory training, documentary evidence of seagoing service on seagoing vessels, a certificate of fitness for work due to health status, identification documents.

After successful confirmation of qualification in the SQC, a seafarer has the right within 12 months from the date of the SQC meeting to receive a diploma or a certificate of a specialist from the captain of the seaport on awarding the title / confirmation of qualification and confirmation of this document.

Seafarers can pass the confirmation of qualification in the SQC in the cities: Kyiv, Odessa, Izmail, Mariupol and Kherson.