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Ship’s Jobs in Pakistan


Merchant navy is a global industry engaging several nationalities to work collectively. It offers excellent career opportunities both at sea and onshore. It offers jobs that not only require specialized knowledge and training but also require a great amount of mental and physical strength. Merchant navy jobs mainly involve working on a variety of ships as officers, engineers, or ratings consisting of technical personnel and crew. There are two main departments/branches on almost all types of ships and seafarers work in coordination to ensure the smooth running of the ship and their operations:

Ranking in Deck Department:

(1)      Chief officer or Chief mate        (2)      2nd officer or 2nd mate
(3)      3rd officer or 3rd mate            (4)      Deck cadet

This department also has the following ratings (called deck ratings):
(i) Bosun (head of rating staff) (ii) Welder/Fitter (iii) Able Bodied Seaman
(iv) Ordinary Seaman/GP (v) Trainee Ordinary Seaman

Engine Department ranking system:

  • Chief or First class engineer
  • Second engineer or First assistant engineer
  • 3rd engineer
  • Class-IV engineer or 4th engineer
  • 5th engineer or Engine Cadet
  • Electro Technical officer (ETO)

Engine Department Ratings:

(i) Fitter (ii) Motorman (iii) Wiper (iv) Trainee Fitter /Trainee Wiper

All seafarers (officer or ratings), from Captains or Chief Officers to the Chefs in the kitchen, will all have to complete STCW-1978 basic safety training before beginning work at sea. The basic course usually takes about a week to complete and has four modules: Personal Survival Techniques (PST), Fire Fighting and Fire Prevention (FPFF), Elementary First Aid (EFA) and Personal Safety and Social Responsibility (PSSR).

Seafarer or Merchant navy jobs in Pakistan

At present there are only two organizations in Pakistan for joining officer category in Merchant Navy, namely:
  1. Pakistan Marine Academy, awards B.Sc (Maritime Studies) degree; and
  2. Karachi Port Trust (KPT) - Apprenticeship

(A) Eligibility criteria for PMA admission in Deck and Engine Branch of the Merchant Navy

Every year, applicants who meet the following criteria may apply for admission:

  • Candidate must be a male unmarried citizen of Pakistan and has passed Higher Secondary School (Pre-Engineering) with second division.
  • Students in the Science or General Group (with Physics and Computer Science) may apply for the Nautical Branch only.
  • Students who have passed any equivalent test may also apply if the University of Karachi accepts their qualification as equivalent to the Higher Secondary School (F.Sc./Intermediate) Certificate.
  • Candidates with O & A level certificates will have to submit equivalence certificate issued by the Inter Board Committee of Chairmen, Islamabad (IBCC Pakistan).
  • Age: You must be no older than 20 years old on December 31st of the year you apply (Relax-able by one year for those belonging to FATA and Azad Kashmir).
  • They must be medically fit. If selected, the applicants shall be required to pass the "Color Vision Test ", from the Mercantile Marine Department, Karachi, after final selection.
  • Prospectus along with application form can be obtained from PMA

(B) Professional training and period required for appearing in CoC examination

(1) Nautical Branch: Deck Cadet training is available to holders of a Nautical Certificate. Candidate has to complete 33 months of training. In the last six months of his training, a cadet will have to perform watch keeping under a certified officer. After completing this training, a cadet is qualified to take the Certificate of Competency class IV examination and can be promoted to 3rd Officer after passing it. A six-month watch keeping experience on the deck is required for participation in the third-level examination. A cadet is promoted to Second Officer after passing this exam. 2nd level examination is for the Chief Officer Slot and only those cadets who have successfully completed eighteen months of watch-keeping experience as 2nd officer can participate in this examination. The Captain’s post in a ship is the highest one. To be eligible for the level one examination, a cadet must have completed 42 months of watch-keeping experience. The cadet who passes this exam is appointed captain of the ship.

(2) Engineering Branch: PMA cadets who successfully have completed two years of engineering education in Pakistan Marine Academy have to complete a further practical training of one year in a marine engineering workshop as a marine engineer apprentice. Having successfully completing the training period he becomes eligible for the Academic part of Certificate of Competency examination for Class-2 and can join any merchant ship. He is posted as fifth engineer or junior engineer and complete his watch-keeping on a shipboard. A cadet can appear in the examination for 4th/3rd engineer after a prescribed period of 9/12 months experience of serving on a ship above 750 kilowatt. Further watchkeeping experience totaling 21 months enables him to participate in the 2nd level part II examination for the post of second engineer. A second Engineer (Class-2) can become a chief engineer after completing a further period of 18 months of watch keeping experience in the engine room.

(C) Eligibility criteria for KPT A Class Apprentice in Engine Branch of Merchant Navy

Every year KPT publishes advertisements for inducting A Class Marine Engineering Apprentices. Applicants having Intermediate (Pre-engineering) or equivalent with at least 50% marks in physics, math, and Chemistry with the following age criteria may apply:
  • 28 years for BE Mechanical
  • 22 years for DAEs
  • 21 years for F.Sc.
The selection of candidates is made on merit (Academic IQ Test and Interviews) with observance of a proportionate quota of 50:50 ratio i.e. son’s quota and open merit. KPT Successful apprentices will have to undergo the process of joining the ship and participating in CoC examination as stipulated for PMA Cadets.

(D) Induction of ratings in Deck & Engine Branch of Merchant Navy

Deck and Engine departments require the crew to work under the supervision of officers. They are called GP ratings (General purpose ratings). Besides the private sector, PMA conducts courses for GP-III ratings to join the merchant navy and publishes criteria for admission in batches in the print media and on its own Website.

Mercantile Marine Department (MMD) conducts examinations (Oral or written) in accordance with the Induction Rules for Technical Personnel of Merchant Marine 1998 for issuance of Certificate of Competency to the following categories:
  1. Diesel Mechanic/ Fitter
  2. Electrician
  3. 1st/2nd Class Engine Drivers/Masters (Inland)

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