Feature: What’s the equivalent?

What’s the equivalent?

The second category, recognition of prior experiential learning,

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major ports would have experience in management, accountancy,
TCW qualifications such as Officer of the Watch (OOW),
logistics and law. They could apply to join a management degree
Chief Mate, Master Unlimited and engineering qualifications
course and seek module exemptions for their proven experience. This
are recognised widely in the shipping industry ashore, and
process is lengthy as the applicant must collate a significant portfolio of
actively sought after for positions such as harbour masters,
work experience with associated evidence.
marine surveyors and lecturers. Increasingly, however, employers The Nautical Institute’s Continuing Professional Development
require those working ashore to have a degree qualification. Many (CPD) portfolio system allows maritime professionals to record
employers not engaged directly in the maritime industries are not achievements throughout their career; from attending conferences
aware of the value of STCW certificates of competency and the time, to obtaining qualifications. NI portfolios may be used as evidence in
study and experience required to obtain them. One means of obtaining applications for RPL and assist in obtaining exemptions in relevant
equivalency to an academic standard and gaining entry to degree degree modules. Substantial portfolios may be accepted for advanced
courses is to adopt a procedure known as recognition of prior learning entry to degree courses.
(RPL) which is acceptable in many institutes and universities. Professionals who hold both STCW and degree qualifications
RPL is a generic term that describes a system for awarding academic will increase their employability and widen their opportunities.
accreditation to students on the basis that learning has occurred prior Transferability to shore employment will be improved and seafarers will
to admission to a course. also be able to gain entry to Masters’ degree programmes. Although
RPL can be obtained in two ways: STCW related qualifications are valuable, they are more appropriate
i. Recognition of prior certified learning for a seagoing career that may be less than 10 years’ duration. A degree
ii. Recognition of prior experiential learning. qualification will give seafarers moving ashore an edge in interviews
The first category is more applicable to marine professionals. If and enable professionals to engage in lifelong careers.
students have completed and passed professional examinations, they
may apply for RPL to join a degree course at an advanced stage,
provided appropriate learning outcomes are achieved satisfactorily.
It is not possible for students to use prior qualifications twice, and if
a previous academic qualification was obtained it cannot be used for
exemptions.
What might this look like in practice? In Cork Institute of Bill Kavanagh prepared the above paper for The Nautical
Technology’s National Maritime College of Ireland (NMCI), the Institute’s Professional Development Committee, of which he is
OOW (Deck) course is delivered in parallel with a Bachelor’s degree a member. Whether you are seeking academic accreditation from
in Nautical Science (Ordinary) course. Students who have already an institute or university based on prior certified learning or on
obtained an OOW qualification may apply to complete the BSc prior experiential learning, The Nautical Institute CPD Online
(Ordinary) course and obtain exemptions from the modules already scheme is an excellent way to document your course work or
obtained when studying for the OOW. To obtain the BSc (Ord), experiences. We encourage all our members to use the scheme
students must complete additional modules in mathematics, physics, to its full potential – submitting your plan, record and reflective
and principles of navigation. Similarly, the STCW Chief Mate course statement each year and receiving feedback and a verification
is delivered in parallel with the Bachelor’s degree in Nautical Science certificate for your efforts. As this article makes clear, a record of
(Honours) course. Those who have already qualified as a Chief Mate what you are learning and experiencing now may be of great value
may join the degree course and obtain exemptions from modules to you at some point in the future, saving you time and money in
already completed. They will obtain a BSc (Hons) degree in Nautical pursuing degree qualifications. If you begin with keeping a record
Science when they complete a dissertation proposal and research it may help focus your thoughts so that creating a plan no longer
dissertation. They must also have obtained all the necessary modules seems too big a challenge. And once you’ve made a plan it isn’t
required for the BSc (Ord) degree prior to application. Single module too difficult to reflect on how well the plan went. So, if you’ve
exemptions are also allowed. For example, if students have acheived been putting off using CPD Online, consider the benefits that can
the learning outcomes of the module Ship Stability (Management) come from having a thorough record of your experiences and start
they will obtain an exemption in an aligned degree module that keeping a record today! As always, write to me at CPD@nautinst.
includes the same learning outcomes. The process is rigorous and org if you have any questions.
ensures that only up to date knowledge and competencies are accepted Theresa Nelson MNI, Training and Quality Manager
and high standards are maintained.

28  |  Seaways  |  April 2017 Read Seaways online at www.nautinst.org/seaways

CDP lrb cpw.indd 28 21/03/2017 15:52