Where is the best training center?

[Murray Blom]

I just spent 4 weeks with a P/T who shelled out the dosh to do that course…

It got him a job BUT they gave him a certificate that said he had hours of flying training even though they did not have a single vehicle working during the course.

If the training establishments are going to lie, what chance do we have to get staff whose CV’s we can believe….. 😯 that’s with reference to the other thread about companies checking CV’s.

Don’t let anyone unknown any where near the sticks or the system un-supervised!!!!!! It will be costly…. 😡

[rovstuff]

ROVSuper said:

It got him a job BUT they gave him a certificate that said he had hours of flying training even though they did not have a single vehicle working during the course.

If the training establishments are going to lie, what chance do we have to get staff whose CV’s we can believe….. that’s with reference to the other thread about companies checking CV’s.

There’s nothing you can do about it. People lie about everything and they lie about their CV’s. They even find somebody who signed in their logbooks, just to let you know they can’t fly cause their never did it more than 10 hour in a row.

Depends on every one of us to keep them at the winch until they can fly or do repairs without any damage or send them home to re-write their CV’s with a little bit of truth.
Patience.

Cheers

[Brainchild110]

Hi, this is my first post on this forum. Im studying Electrical/Electronic engineering right now (NC), and will be doing the HNC streight afterwards. I was thinking about doing that course, but now Im not so sure. What other options are there?
I’m moving to New Zealand/ Australia in 2010. Are there any IMCA training centres there?

[luckyjim37]

From personnal experience of this type of course (Subserv) there are a few good and bad points about them.

The good points are they give you a good introduction to the industry and how things are done.

If you have a technical specialtiy they introduce you to the other technical skills you may need ie electricians to hydraulics and vica versa.

Also some of the generic stuff like permits to works risk assessments etc.

They offer some flying or at least the one I did included some.

The bad points. They are generic. They cannot introduce you to repairing the vehicle in heavy rain and crap cold Norwegian weather or in the burning heat of Egypt where you put a spanner down and burn your hand when you pick it up.

Also the word I have used a lot. Introduce. That is all they can do is introduce you to the industry and a company can do this equally well.

It helped me get a foot in the door and probably helped a lot of other people however in some cases there may have been no need to take the course at all.

By all means consider all of the comments written hear and what you have heard elsewhere and from the school itself and then make your own mind up based on a balanced set of information.

Good luck whatever you do.

[James McLauchlan]

These days the industry is so short of people that my guess is this….

An Ops manager (faced with the choice between filling a slot with some one who’s attended any kind of ROV training course and someone who hasn’t) would most likely take the person that has shelled out hard earned (or borrowed) cash and attended the course.

Some people say that the current cost is expensive. Yeah for sure it seems that way but, if a guy gets a job as a result, payback will be in only a couple of trips at trainee rate (depending on trip length).

Of course you could not do the course and hope that as a person with no ROV training you’ll get lucky. Times change and in the current climate if I was trying to get into the game I would shell out and go for it.

… er and no! I do not have shares in any training schools!

[rovjas]

I enjoyed the course and as things are currently struggled to get my foot off the ground with ROV work. I knew from the outset that I would have to work hard to try get my foot in the door. I dont have any HND/C’s, but have worked around machinery, cars and race karts for many years.

But as if goes I went away with GEO for a month out in the Baltic and North sea, and worked for them as a technician/rig operator. It all adds to the CV

[PaulB]

I just spent 4 weeks with a P/T who shelled out the dosh to do that course…

It got him a job BUT they gave him a certificate that said he had hours of flying training even though they did not have a single vehicle working during the course.

If the training establishments are going to lie, what chance do we have to get staff whose CV’s we can believe….. 😯 that’s with reference to the other thread about companies checking CV’s.

Don’t let anyone unknown any where near the sticks or the system un-supervised!!!!!! It will be costly…. 😡

I have been running The Underwater Centre ROV course at Fort William for the last 4.5 years (since new ownship). No-one during that time has completed the 3 week ROV course without flying at least one vehicle for about 10 hours each and 40 hours with 3 (or less) others in their team. We never run courses without real ROVs for the students to fly! We currently have 5 ROVs (two Falcons for flying and two workclass units and an eyeball for study)

Please pm me with this persons details and I will investigate if there is any truth in this allegation. We have come across one person forging our certificates claiming to have undertaken training courses with us when they hadn’t! The Police were involved and a prosecution followed.

As many of you will see, there is a lot of information and mis-information on this website (that is the nature of anonymous forums) where some people/organisations use such media to discredit any competition for their own purposes.

Paul Bury – Head of ROV Training & Operations
The Underwater Centre (Fort William) Ltd

[Ray Shields]

Paul,

good to see you stick your head above the trench 🙂

Im sure most would like to see any mis-information on here corrected or at very least a right of reply against any complaints made against any school in particular.

People will always have different opinions on what is good training,bad training or even relevant training.

cheers, Ray

[James McLauchlan]

As many of you will see, there is a lot of information and mis-information on this website (that is the nature of anonymous forums) where some people/organisations use such media to discredit any competition for their own purposes.

Paul Bury – Head of ROV Training & Operations
The Underwater Centre (Fort William) Ltd

Paul

You are quite correct and I, along with a few others no doubt, am pleased to see you come to the fore to balance what has been written previously and at the same time add factual information into the Forum.

best regards
James Mc

[Allegedly]

😀 Hi Paul, good to see you on here. Very glad to echo James’ comments.
As we know, there’s a lot of excellent stuff on here but, by the nature of the beast, heresay, chinese whispers and just bollocks occasionaly rear their ugly heads and the subject of training/entry level skills is a one that elicits very mixed reactions. Getting it from the horses mouth (ooh, er, Mrs!) will make a refreshing change.
Cheers Mate

[Mr-K]

Hopi

Dont listen, go for it mate.
I didt have any relavent experience or or a relavent background and i got a job with oceaneering just 2 months after finishing my course.

Good Luck

Mr-K

[Andy Shiers]

Well 😕
Good luck to you 8)
Please tell me something PaulB , Why do you charge so much ?
The rates arn’t worthy of it ! Why the high price for an ROV training course ?

[Ray Shields]

It’s also a shame that Paul says there is mis-information but hasn’t come back to correct it. I understand he is very busy and probably feels he shouldn’t have to defend the centre against a load of BS on here. But it would be good if he says info here is wrong if he could give their side of it.

But, its a commercial organisation. They are there to make money.

Schools and colleges are there to teach people – that is their primary aim (rather like oil companys saying safety is number one priority, course it isnt its to make money for shareholders! That not to say they cannot do it in a safe manner but give us some credit for knowing why they are doing what they do)

They charge as much as they do because people are willing to pay it. Who is to say if it is expensive or not. The person who does it and doesnt get a job would say it was, the person who does it and gets a job in ROVs would say money well spent.

[Cabledog]

Like any other business fellas it is purely down to supply and demand, thats it.

Once the market slows down again, the prices the schools charge will come back down, but then so will the number of people wanting to get into ROV.

However I don’t think that will happen any time soon, which is good for all of us 😀

Be good
Dog

[ionicwings]

It’s also a shame that Paul says there is mis-information but hasn’t come back to correct it. I understand he is very busy and probably feels he shouldn’t have to defend the centre against a load of BS on here. But it would be good if he says info here is wrong if he could give their side of it.

But, its a commercial organisation. They are there to make money.

Schools and colleges are there to teach people – that is their primary aim (rather like oil companys saying safety is number one priority, course it isnt its to make money for shareholders! That not to say they cannot do it in a safe manner but give us some credit for knowing why they are doing what they do)

They charge as much as they do because people are willing to pay it. Who is to say if it is expensive or not. The person who does it and doesnt get a job would say it was, the person who does it and gets a job in ROVs would say money well spent.

I believe he already corrected some as I’ve read in his replies. One is when you mentioned about the guy who redid his training in FW after getting accepted by a company and he cleared what really happened. Another is from a poster who said that his friend never got to fly an ROV in his training in FW. He might not be able to answer the other questions and misinformations in this forum since as far as I know, he is out offshore?

As for me, it’s true, like you said, that I look at my training in FW really helpful since I already got a job few days before the end of the course. I say that I was just lucky. I also felt that without the training, I might not be considered because of my background. Although my background might help (as replied to me by an institution for AUVs in US who hopefully have another job for me by next year) in AUV specially in the Research and Survey Industry since I have a programming background and AUV’s use C++ & Linux which I know pretty well.

It’s true also that the course that they did in FW doesnt necessarily give you the ROV Pilot/Tech title, rather will give you a familiarization and a stepping stone to enter the industry. And if you are really determined enough (with lots of luck), you can get job immediately.

I concur with Cabledog’s comment about the training centers. They do follow the law of supply and demand. Ofcourse the owners also want profit out of it. Who doesnt?

I feel rather sad that most of you guys dont welcome newbies in the field (ironic for rookie corner) specially those who doesnt have your ideal background. When I first got here, I felt really excited to find a website & forum dedicated for ROV and probably get alot of tips and encouragement from the most experienced ones. Unfortunately, most that I got were discouragements and some negative remarks against me making a step to the ROV Industry. I almost got discouraged til I finished the course and felt that it’s really worth it.

When I first posted, some of you guys said my chances of getting a job were slim to none. Now that I have got a job days before the end of the course, I get few remarks hoping they wouldnt work with me or ranting about putting out morons in the industry. It seems like us newbies, specially those without your ideal background, will never be welcomed by most people in this forums. It could be understandable although it’s really saddening.

Well anyway, I’ve seen alot of posts here that might help me once I get offshore for work. I’ve seen one of Cabledog’s post (was it him?) where he posted some tips for newbies, specially the knots we need to know, etc. Although there are alot of discouragement for newbies here in this forums, there are also alot of info that might help me on the way which I appreciate too.

Anyway, thanks alot and I’ll try to learn alot and prepare. If you see me offshore, be good to a newbie like me ok? hehe…

happy holidays…

edit: sorry for the misquote, i checked and it was Black Dog who said something about knots and stuff 😕

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