becoming a civvy need help with courses

[jayjay915]

guys im sorry if this has been posted before or is posted 30 times a week, but im in need of some help.
after reading quite a few of the topics with regards to which training provider to use etc etc, i am still no closer in choosing which one to use, also, and i may be wrong here, what the difference is between rov pilot and rov pilot/tech, and whether you can train straight as the latter.
any advice on other courses i would need to work offshore or on ship woudl be appreciated, i understand the offshore survival is a must on the rigs but is it on the ships ??? and does everyone need to offshore first aid qual.
forgive my ignorance in some of this but there is only so much you can get from magazines and the internet.

thanks in advance
jayjay915

[Ray Shields]

Mainly there is no difference between what is calle a pilot and a pilot tech with what most companies call these jobs.

I believe Oceaneering did at least at some stage have Pilots (those who operated the vehicles) and tecnicians (who repaired and maintained).

Nowadays 99% of companies (if not 100%) expect you to do both.

This is why the majority of people on here say you have to come from a technical background to start out with ROVs. An ROV is just another piece of electrical/mechancal equipment you use your technical skills on.

No-one comes into ROVs knowing how to fly or operate it, that is all done on the job. Yes, you can attend some ROV training schools and have a taster of what it will be like but until you go out there and start to do it, thats when you really learn.

ANYONE from cook to Rig Superintendent needs to have a basic approved survival course and medical which has to be re-done every few years before they are allowed to even go offshore.

Rigs, boats, it makes no difference.

As to courses, this depends on what skills and qualifications you have already, and where abouts in the world you are. As I said, you really need a technical background (qualifications and preferably experience) to really stand a chance in becoming an ROV pilot.

We have heard the stories of taxi drivers, plasterers etc. who have got into ROVs without having any qualifications. But even if some of them are true, these guys do not last 5 minutes offshore.

[jayjay915]

worked in the telecomms side of the army for 13 years give or take, have a pretty good idea when it comes to the technical side of things, although rov`s will be a totally different ball game i feel.
also had some experience with airborne rov`s, probably totally different but you never know might help.
thanks for your advice so far, hopefully this forum group will give me some advice to make the right decissions, as you can imagine its a complete career change for me, all the help we get is a magazine with courses thrown at you and you have to choose the rest of your life out of there, the rov side of life has interested me for a while though, so hopefully i will be able to get into it and secure a job, i wont go into it unless i stand a chance of being accepted though, bit of a waste of the army retraining me otherwise
jayjay915

[Ray Shields]

Just remember. If you use what little retraining money they give you on an ROV training course, it will ONLY be useful when applying for an ROV job.

If you use it to get City & Guilds, NVQs, HNCs etc. then these count towards ANY job including and ROV one.

[Iain620]

Just finished 22yrs and did ROV cse at UWC, places as trainees are just not out there save your resettlement money and as suggested get yourself qualifed up. It is too big an investment for an uncertain return

[ANCHORMAN]

I came into the game 2 years ago after 24 years in the Army and was very lucky in my first 2 years. But things are getting harder and I would think long and hard before comitting myself to a ROV cse. Its not easy to get a break and you need to be ready for a lot of knock backs . But still if you want to make it . It can be done. Just dont expect a quick solution.

[Wade Berglund]

I have been in the ROV business for only a year now. Retired from the Navy with a back ground as an Electronics tech (Sonar/Navigation). Did civilian re-certification to be internationally recognized.

Got a job with a company just on my qualifications and experience. They sent me to FWUTC, that was for 3 weeks and it was a waste of time in my books. No fibre optics, minimal hydraulics (3 days), electronics was rushed and only as a refresher. The practical flying was worthwhile but only 9.5 hrs worth.

Do as others state and get certified and recognized as a proper technician (civilian that is).

Good luck

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