1. The Ghana Maritime Authority is pleased to inform the maritime community, especially shipowners and their agents, Maritime Education and Training Institutes (METI), Seafarer Recruitment and Placement Services (SRPS) Providers, and all persons desirous of pursuing seafaring as a vocation about a new initiative created to support Ghanaian Ratings.

2. This new initiative serves to encourage more Ghanaian youth to take up seafaring careers, facilitate their up-skilling and improve seafaring talent retention. This initiative is part of the Authority’s overarching vision of making Ghana a top seafarer supply nation to improve our foreign exchange earnings and the livelihood of the populace. Additionally, the initiative is targeted at building an integrated system of seafarer education, training, and progression based on skills mastery. It is hoped that this local core will take up key positions in seafaring and eventually progress to office-based jobs that value seafaring experience. This will support the growth of Ghana not only as a premier regional hub port but also as a leading international maritime center.

3. Pursuant to Regulation 11 of the Ghana Shipping (Maritime Labour) Regulation, 2015 (L.I 2226), the minimum required competency for ratings shall be ratings forming part of a navigational watch for deck ratings or ratings forming part of an engineering watch for engine ratings as respectively prescribed under Regulations 35 and 40 of the Ghana Shipping (Standard of Training Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers) Regulation, 2016 (L.I. 2229). The aforementioned competencies that are rating forming part of the navigational watch for deck ratings and rating on watch in the engine room for engine room ratings shall be a prerequisite for the issuance of Seafarers Record Book and Certificate of Discharge and Seafarers Identity Document (SID) for all rating effective 1st January 2022 and for all new rating applicants.

4. All persons desirous of working onboard vessels as ratings shall undergo pre-sea training at an approved METI and shall obtain an onboard training record book for ratings to serve an approved period of sea service of not less than two months on vessels of 500gt and above for deck ratings to meet the minimum training requirements prescribed under Regulation II/4 for certification as a rating forming part of a navigational watch, or on vessels of engine capacity of 750 kW and above under Regulation III/4 for certification as a rating forming part of a watch in a manned engine room or designed to perform duties in a periodically unmanned engine room for engine room ratings pursuant to the provisions of the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping (STCW) for Seafarers.

5. Further to the above, the lifeboatman proficiency certificate and Efficient Deckhand Competency certificate shall no longer be a prerequisite for certification of ratings forming part of a navigational watch. Instead, seafarers who hold a certificate of proficiency in Rating forming part of Navigational watch shall be required to undergo approved training in Survival Craft and Rescue Boats in accordance with the requirements of Regulations VI/2 of the International Convention on Standards of Training Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978 as amended after obtaining a minimum of six (6) months sea service.

6. Seafarers who are already issued with Seafarer’s Discharge book and Seafarers Identity Document have until December 2025 to obtain certification under Regulation II/4 or III/4 of the STCW Convention 1978 as amended.

7. By this notice, all persons desirous of pursuing a vocation as a rating onboard vessel, SRPS, Shipowners and their agents, and the maritime community, in general, shall abide by this notice. Further clarification may be sought from the Authority via info@ghanamaritime.org.