More Newbie advice???

Member Joined: Apr 04, 2006

The idea of the manufacturer offering the training is a good one and on newer or production models of ROV that works. It would be hard to ask the manufacturer to support training on older models when you may only have one or two people needing that every couple of years.

SMD gave our firm some system specific training when we bought the Quasar. Shame out of the 10 or so guys who did it that only two of them now have anything to do with the ROV. Also there was the problem that only one of them had any actual ROV experience.

Maybe the way forward is to have a basic ROV course specifically aimed at peoples skills. I.e. an electronics engineer would do a course aimed at his speciality and then some training on hydraulics so he could support the hydraulics guys.

The companies then consolidate this with in house training. The difference to the current set up would be that the trainee would have to be sponsored by a company to undertake the training. That would reduce flooding of the market and would then put the responsibility for the standard of trainees back on the companies recruiting process. It could then also carry a full recognised certificate.

Member Joined: Jun 05, 2004

So what you are saying is .............
A person who has had 6 to 12 months training will have had sufficient experience to tackle any jobs that the ROV is suppiled to do ?
And there for can then be classed as a non trainee ?
I canna see any traning school giving that amount of wisdom ....... hmmmm Cool

I still think 5 years in the industry is ................ adequate Confused

Unless of course he or she is a complete muppet that goes from one failed contract to another and by that time he or she would have gained a reputation for being in adequate or non employable !

Member Joined: Apr 04, 2006

5 years as a trainee for someone with formal training in a relevant field is ludicrous. You should be able to be the junior member of a team without having every job supervised after a year. Flying is probably the biggest sticking point for trainees moving up.

Even some of the most experienced supervisors have to ask for advice on some jobs they may not have done before after 10-15 years in the industry.

We are talking about someone not being classed as a trainee we are not saying they are ready to be a sub-eng after a year.

How as an industry could we possibly attempt to attract talented staff if after they have spent years in college/apprentiships/work and then tell them you are now a trainee for up to five years? That is crazy. I know people who went from trainee to supervisor quicker than that.

Member Joined: Jun 05, 2004

I take it you are putting yourself in this "as one of those people" with less than 5 years experience Cool

To count the Hours "On the sticks" is one thing , fixing is another .
A person who has spent his or her time on a 5 year contract ( Meaning , unless of course he has no home life,family or hobbies spends only half that time offshore ) will gleem enough experience in fixing and be able to fly in all conditions and is therefor classed as experienced.
But that is the problem , The Industry is swamped with people who have heard what a fabulous job this is. They are NOT all fantastic pilots or great Techs Shocked

They may also be in their "Mid years" and fancy a new job prospect with plenty of years experience in their old jobs.
We are now inundated with personnel that have been hoodwinked into doing a " ROV course " at extortionate prices and now begging to get out on the jobs ........................ For free Shocked

in order to get the supposed experience" And you say these talented personnel that have now joined our industry will take affront at being called "Trainee" ALL over again because of their past jobs Confused

Get real Mr LuckyJim ! New job - Bottom of the rung , that's the way it goes ! You are not EXPERIENCED enough to make those type of suggestions Evil or Very Mad

I have been in the Industry All my working life Rolling Eyes

I never stop asking questions myself and I still learn everyday from one job to the next , But I still class myself as experienced due to the years IN the industry.
But that is not the issue ...... Is it Shocked

The Market is SWAMPED with personnel wanting to get into the Industry. The Schools are still turning out wannabe pilot/techs and they are willing to go to what ever it takes to get on the job 'cause they are now skint Shocked

There are not Loads of contracts around ! Have you not heard of all the companies going bust , Bought out or contracts that have been shelved because of the "Recession" we are currently in around the world Shocked

The Agencies are just as bad ! Too many of them !
Because there are too many of them seeing this as an easy way to "Get Dosh" they become greedy and also wanting to keep in with the competition are Lying about personnel C of V's , Shoving
In-experienced "Bodies" out on jobs .......... CHEAP which means the experienced personnel on the jobs have to work twice as hard to cover for them plus ....... due to competition are "OFFERING" personnel to the ROV companies at LOW rates in order to get the business Confused

There should not be ANY Inexperienced Pilot/Techs or Trainees out on the freelance circuit FALLSTOP Mad

It's making a mockery of being "Freelance" and is also reducing the Rates
Which is really pissing me off Evil or Very Mad

Member Joined: Sep 14, 2006 Location: Bali, Indonesia

Wow Lost,

Quite a rant....right on all accounts I reckon except the 5 year trainee bit or 2 1/2 yrs fully offshore. I also fall into your 'trainee' bracket as only worked in the industry for 4 years and been offshore a total of around 220 days for each year. Not that it matters, of course....I'm happy to be on the winch, or fixing it, or flying it.

But what about the guys who have been way longer than your 5 year mark who don't know naff all about types of work, flying the rov and fixing it, etc, etc??..... I have met a few of those.

Quote:

Get real Mr LuckyJim ! New job - Bottom of the rung , that's the way it goes ! You are not EXPERIENCED enough to make those type of suggestions

Ummmm,yes agreed, start at the bottom, but please, not everyone is a child and the good thing about suggestion's is exactly that, its a suggestion. Its someone else's input and they don't need to be experienced to make one, you just need to be suitably informed of the content so you don't make an arse of yourself.

But thats just my suggestion.... Wink

Member Joined: Dec 17, 2003 Location: Thailand

Lost,

A lot of people (and we know many) that can and have made supervisor within 5 years have shown their worth - some others haven't. Once again, people with ROV-relevant trade experience & schooling, on-the-job-training, and 4-5 years (with a lot of grafting) could make supervisor. Now add vehicle-specific training at the manufacturers' factory, and one will have a well-rounded education. By no means am I implying that it should be as easy as the gimme-a-cert schools. When I say grafting... well, you can imagine what "I" am saying when that word is mentioned. Forget about "hell week"..... !!! And yes, it's the bottom rung for every candidate stepping in this industry. All specialized training should be monitored, yes! It's done in the aviation field, a field I would like to remind people, that's not too different from ours.

So, a tip o' the hat is in order for anyone that can improve this abysmal system we have now. And in other / earlier threads, there's ROV folks bemoaning the UNQUALIFIED bodies that "oversee" and / or publish generic guidelines in which we're supposed to adhere to.