Ship assistant engineer to ordinary seaman
A ship assistant engineer already meets 23% of what the ordinary seaman role asks for. The move turns on 19 required skills not yet in the profile.
79.2/ 100
1 How much of what an ordinary seaman is expected to do is already part of a ship assistant engineer’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the ordinary seaman role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
An ordinary seaman role treats 6 of its required skills as things a ship assistant engineer already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- Global Maritime Distress and Safety System
- maintain vessel engine room
- moor vessels
- unmoor vessels
- use different types of fire extinguishers
- use maritime English
What stands in the way is 19 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 7 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. An ordinary seaman role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a ship assistant engineer background worth leading with.
- already held maintain vessel engine room constructing
- already held moor vessels working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held unmoor vessels working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held use different types of fire extinguishers assisting and caring
- already held Global Maritime Distress and Safety System services
- already held use maritime English communication, collaboration and creativity
All 7 carried skills, including the 6 the ordinary seaman role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 26 missing skills fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn clean ships required
- still to learn maintain ship brightwork required
- still to learn secure cargo on ships required
- still to learn load cargo onto ships required
- still to learn handle cargo required
- still to learn sort waste required
- optional, not held perform manual work autonomously optional
- still to learn assist water-based navigation required
- still to learn operate life-saving appliances required
- still to learn secure ships using rope required
- optional, not held manipulate sails on vessels optional
- still to learn physical parts of the vessel required
- still to learn principles of cargo stowage required
- still to learn vessel safety equipment required
- still to learn maintain ropes required
- still to learn perform lookout duties during maritime operations required
- optional, not held inspect construction of ships optional
- still to learn maintain vessel safety and emergency equipment required
- still to learn follow hygienic procedures during food processing required
- still to learn swim required
- optional, not held work in a water transport team optional
- optional, not held follow verbal instructions optional
- optional, not held follow written instructions optional
- optional, not held use different communication channels optional
2 further areas in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries an ordinary seaman role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 clean ships practise this
- 02 maintain ship brightwork practise this
- 03 secure cargo on ships practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 7 skills that carry over
- already held Global Maritime Distress and Safety System knowledge
- already held maintain vessel engine room skill
- already held moor vessels skill
- already held unmoor vessels skill
- already held use different types of fire extinguishers skill
- already held use maritime English skill
- already held act reliably skill
The 2 learning areas not shown above
- still to learn types of maritime vessels required
- still to learn handle stressful situations in the work place required
7 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held inspect construction of ships optional
- optional, not held manipulate sails on vessels optional
- optional, not held perform manual work autonomously optional
- optional, not held work in a water transport team optional
- optional, not held follow verbal instructions optional
- optional, not held follow written instructions optional
- optional, not held use different communication channels optional
26 held skills the ordinary seaman role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role International Maritime Organisation conventions knowledge
- not needed by the target role advise on maritime regulations skill
- not needed by the target role apply vessel engine regulations skill
- not needed by the target role detect malfunctions in engines skill
- not needed by the target role electrical systems used in transportation knowledge
- not needed by the target role engine components knowledge
- not needed by the target role maintain vessel inventory skill
- not needed by the target role manage on-board water systems skill
- not needed by the target role manage ship electrical systems skill
- not needed by the target role manage vessel engines and systems skill
- not needed by the target role operate diesel propulsion plants skill
- not needed by the target role operate fire extinguishers skill
- not needed by the target role operate sewage treatment plans on ships skill
- not needed by the target role operate vessel engine room skill
- not needed by the target role operation of different engines knowledge
- not needed by the target role perform bunkering skill
- not needed by the target role perform routine lube oil tests skill
- not needed by the target role perform routine maintenance of ship engines skill
- not needed by the target role physics knowledge
- not needed by the target role prepare engine room for operation skill
- not needed by the target role prepare lifeboats skill
- not needed by the target role principles of mechanical engineering knowledge
- not needed by the target role provide support in vessel machinery systems skill
- not needed by the target role regulation on the discharge of raw materials into the sea knowledge
- not needed by the target role repair vessel mechanical systems skill
- not needed by the target role stay up-to-date with maritime transportation technology skill
4 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn physical parts of the vessel required
- still to learn principles of cargo stowage required
- still to learn types of maritime vessels required
- still to learn vessel safety equipment required
Other moves recorded from ship assistant engineer
Common questions about this move
Can a ship assistant engineer become an ordinary seaman?
Yes, and it is a career change move. A ship assistant engineer already covers 23% of what an ordinary seaman is expected to do: 7 skills carry over, 6 of which the ordinary seaman role treats as required.
What skills does a ship assistant engineer need to become an ordinary seaman?
19 required skills are missing, plus 7 optional ones. They fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by handling and moving. The single most important is clean ships.
How hard is the move from ship assistant engineer to ordinary seaman?
Its learning distance is 79.2 out of 100, which is the career change band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.