The Gold Standard in Approved Maritime Security Training
VIRSEC Ltd
Providing online courses and learning management solutions for maritime & port sectors, fleet management and individuals
Knowing the Difference
?According to the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code, anyone who works aboard or often frequents a vessel must hold a minimum-security certification. It is a required part of a job in maritime.?
There is a range of security certifications you can obtain depending on your role – but no matter the type of training, you want to be sure it is approved by a reputable Awarding Body. And not all Approvals are created equal.??
Put simply, the approval you need depends on what is accepted by the Flag State in which your vessel is registered. There is one Approval, however, that is considered the gold standard and is most widely accepted across Flag States – the UK’s Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) Approval.?
But what is MCA Approval???
Here we break down exactly what it all means, its benefits, and how you can be sure the course you are taking is Approved by the MCA.?
What does ‘MCA Approved’ mean??
When a course is ‘MCA Approved,’ that means it is Approved by the UK Department for Transportation’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency for meeting the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) Convention. The MCA is considered the gold standard in the UK for Maritime Security Training, as MCA Approved courses are extremely rigorous and require the highest of standards.?
While MCA is a UK-based Agency, MCA Approved courses are recognised and accepted by all vessels from the UK Flag State, as well as by most other Flag States. So those with an MCA Approved certification can work on any UK Flag registered vessel, and many other [countries] Flag-registered vessels.?
How to know if the course you want is Approved by the MCA??
When looking for a course, you will see options that include the Flag State or authority that approves the course. This could include statements like ‘Liberian Approved,’ ‘Netherlands Shipping Authority (EU)-Approved’ or a variety of others.??
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A training course must explicitly state that it is ‘MCA Approved’ for you to receive a certification that can be used on an MCA vessel. Note that statements like ‘MCA accepted’ or ‘MCA equivalent’ does not actually mean the course is officially Approved by the MCA – and could cause you serious issues down the line when being audited.?
Available MCA Approved Trainings?
VIRSEC offers a number of MCA Approved security training courses – all of which can be taken 100% online and are tailored for different sectors such as Commercial Vessels, Ferries, Offshore Mobile Platforms, Cruise Ships, and Superyachts.?
If you are crew, staff or a security officer on a commercial cargo vessel, offshore mobile platforms, or ferry, have a look at the following MCA Approved courses:?
If you are crew, staff or a security officer on a superyacht or mega yacht, check out:??
If you are crew, staff, or a security officer on a cruise ship, see:??
With the backing of the MCA, you can be sure certification via a VIRSEC maritime security training course is recognised and respected throughout the world.?