IMCA competence certificate renewal

[Gina McLauchlan]

This is one carried over from the old forum

I was recently trying to renew my IMCA cert due to 3 year expiry date printed on it.

I’ve now been told that after a recent meeting between IMCA and various member companies, it has apparently been agreed by IMCA that there is now no expiry. All that is required is ongoing assessment forms and logbook to get signed, as proof of continuing competence and employment within the industry. However, I advise checking this for yourselves, as I’ve not seen anything official about it yet. I’m sure the companies who had intended to charge (UK £145 I believe) for renewal won’t be too pleased about this loss of potential income.

Not that any company I’ve worked for this last 3 yrs has ever asked for the piece of paper, so I don’t know how relevant it is and why I’m bothering with it. This topic has been discussed frequently on the old site, and no doubt will be on the new site.

temp

[Gina McLauchlan]

This is one carried over from the old forum

Wow! That’s pretty interesting…

I’ll see what I can find out to confirm one way or another…

Thanks for the info Temp

Best regards

James Mc

[Gina McLauchlan]

This is one carried over from the old forum

Sonsub Singapore whilst we have an IMCA compliant competency scheme do not state expiry dates on our competency cards. We do this because it is unfair and I feel slightly unethical to do this. If personnel meet industry requirements and remain in the industry they should not have to pay to maintain a status in the industry. Some I am sure would disagree, however probably no one working offshore.

Regards,

JW

[Gina McLauchlan]

This is one carried over from the old forum

I couldn’t agree more with what you say ROVOPS, and have written to IMCA in the past about this stressing this very point.

As a result of Temps post I have, yet again, written to IMCA for clarifaction of one of the FAQ’s posted on their website (and also in FAQ’s in ROVworld)….. see my email below.

***************************************************
Dear Sir
I run the website at http://www.rovworld.com and have need to contact you in the past.
We have recently had this posted, by one of our website members, in our Forum:

Post subject: IMCA competence
I was recently trying to renew my IMCA cert due to 3 year expiry date printed on it.
I’ve now been told that after a recent meeting between IMCA and various member companies, it has apparently been agreed by IMCA that there is now no expiry. All that is required is ongoing assessment forms and logbook to get signed, as proof of continuing competence and employment within the industry. However, I advise checking this for yourselves, as I’ve not seen anything official about it yet.

I note that, with regard to How long does competence last? in FAQ’s, on your website, it currently (Tuesday 30 Dec 2003) says:

“This question is probably the most frequent FAQ and IMCA’s TCPC Committee tried to address this in information note IMCA TCPC 13/02. Its recommendation is that a three-year revalidation period might be appropriate, but that this is dependent on a number of issues or circumstances.”

Can you please clarify this, as it is a very emotive subject and I wish to be able advise our website members correctly on the subject.

My main area of concern is that whilst the text in your FAQ says such things as ‘quote’: “tried to address”, “Its recommendation is” [/i:] and [i:]”might be appropriate” ‘unquote’, which seem a little vague, yet the certificates issued in the past most definitely have an expiry date printed on them, which is crystal clear.

What do certificate holders need to do when their certificate expiry date is reached?

Best regards

James

~~~~~~~~~~ http://www.ROVworld.com ~~~~~~~~~~~

James McLauchlan – Webmaster/Editor
E-Mail: Webmaster@ROVworld.com

~~~~~~~ The Subsea Information Portal ~~~~~~
We may have a .com name but the basic nature of our
website is to offer the ROV & AUV Offshore & Onshore
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[Gina McLauchlan]

This is one carried over from the old forum

Yeah, I thought UK £145 just for a training company to rubber-stamp my cert renewal would have been a bit steep, considering the minimal amount of admin time that this would take (i.e. checking through a few appraisal forms and logbook entries etc., it would probably take them all of 10-15 mins at the most). The 3 yr expiry/renewal idea also applies in other industries in UK (e.g. construction industry & electrical contractors cards that I also have), maybe that’s where they got the idea from? Note: by comparison, my JIB ECS card only costs UK £15 to renew.

Let us know if you get any official word from IMCA, I just got sketchy info via an agency.

Here’s wishing everyone out there a better year in 2004, this year has been crap offshore work-wise.

temp

[Gina McLauchlan]

This is one carried over from the old forum

Still no reply to my email so have chased it up, to another IMCA email address.

I have to say that my past experience with IMCA is that they are very slack when it comes to responding to email…

It seems that they are living up to that record.

regards
James Mc

[rigwash]

Whats that you say Rov ooops, “against it because it’s unfair and unethical”..cough splutter gurgle choke, c’mon blue cut the humour i almost choked on my VB.

Seriously though the whole thing is just a scam dreamed up so some bludgers who never go offshore, can get their finger in your pie and make some money out of the workers once again.(and maybe the contrators as well)

why the hell should the certs have dates on them. i never heard of doctors, lawyers, politicians, ops managers, motor mechanics and heaps others, ever having to recertify or pay money to some asshole assessor who knows sweet F.A about your craft to prove you can do what your employer has been happily paying you for , for the last 20 years or what ever

in the real world, the proof that you are qualified and capable is that you can hold down the job.

if we stopped giving these type of scams serious consideration they should just go away. Next time this type of shit pops up, speak out against it, email the thieves concerned telling them where to go, refuse to hold or produce these dodgey certification cards etc and fight them off at every opportunity. if we don’t we deserve all we get and have no room for complaint when we find ourselves having to pay our way to the otherside of the globe and paying for such things as mutlimeter users refresher courses, hacksaw safety etc

to be fair to rov ooops at sonsub. As far as i know they do not have dates on their cards and do their assessing in house, so no outside authorities or other assorted bludgers get a chance to make any easy money out of sonsub or their employees

as for the reasons, unfair? unethical? old joelbert is always good for a laugh.if he ever gets tired of the rov business the used car industry would love him.I’m still having a good chuckle now that i’m down off my soap box

[Andy Shiers]

I agree , In house certification will work for competency BUT not an outside governing body whose sole purpose is to make as much easy money as possible – ” For administration purposes of coarse “

[luckyjim37]

Recently finished my Pilot Tech one cert through MCTS which is run by Richard Warburton formerly of Subserv.

The certs are still being issued with expiry dates but I think that is to be compliant with the NVQ elements of the courses which as I understand was originally needed to gain some government funding when the scheme was originally set up. Also as there was a recognised qualification at the end of it us fine and upstanding ex servicemen could get funding for the course when leaving the services.

My understanding of the situation is the expiry date is not important if you keep your log book upto date. Also you could alway complete the next level in that time and then the nice people in the office will be keener to pay you more money (honest).

My experience of the scheme is the original course is a good introduction to the ROV world but is very generic. Being more electrical the hydraulic section of the course was very helpfull indeed as I had little experience of these systems.

Also it makes it easier for agencies to classify you to the client company however it also makes it easier to keep your money down as if you are for example if your a certified Sub eng why should you be paid as a supervisor as you are not certified competent to do the job.

[rovbionic]

Agreed this IMCA thing is a paper chase and some contractors would rather chop off their left arm than assist in signing your comps off.

Having said that I recently had a contractor question my approaching expire date……guess they expected updated certs with the said day rate …so I went through the process of geting my cert updated courtesy of your mate Richard Warburton /MTCS for 55 quid.For that you get a new cute litle card once you get an endorsment that you have been in the industry active at that capacity.

The grown ups are happy and chock it up as a business expense.

[Author]

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