Commercial
courses

This qualification is suitable for people working in entry level positions in the maritime industry as a General Purpose Hand to:

• assist with deck work on a vessel <100 m long and <3000 GT in the EEZ under general supervision of the master of the vessel or an appropriately certificated crew member to whom the master delegates the supervision
• assist with engine work on a vessel with propulsion power <3000 kW in the EEZ under general supervision of the chief engineer of the vessel or another appropriately certificated crew member to whom the chief engineer delegates the supervision

Our mission is to provide exceptional maritime training that creates real employment outcomes for our students.

• We train on the water
  Our campuses are conveniently located close to waterways so you can walk out of the classroom and onto a vessel for practical, on-board training.
• You can study full-time or part-time
  You have the choice to study your course all in one go or do it in blocks of time so it’s convenient for whenever you can get the time off work. Talk to us and we’ll make a plan that works for you.
• Pay as you go with flexible payment plans
  You can pay your course fees in full or by instalments over the term of your course duration.
• We have a Job Register
  When you graduate you’ll be automatically added to our Job Register and emailed when positions become vacant in the industry, providing you opportunities for part-time and full-time work.
• Trainers are experienced seafarers
  Our professional maritime trainers and assessors are qualified and experienced seafarers aboard a variety of commercial vessels. Our students are guaranteed a high level of education that combines traditional classroom teaching with practical, on-board training.
• Under new management since 2013
  Since taking over Sea School, we’ve had over 400 graduates successfully complete our courses. We are an AMSA compliant, quality-driven RTO that offers you the best training and career pathways.

All courses are intense and of short duration

• $1250
• Course duration is 5 days
• The course runs from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm each day

For government funding and incentives, please refer to the New South Wales government funding page or the Queensland government funding page.

Fee Payment

A deposit of $500 is to be paid on enrolment to hold your place on the course. Course fees are due to be paid in full on course commencement. You will be invoiced upon enrolment.

You can pay by credit card, cash or by electronic funds transfer. Instalment payment plans are available upon application.

Please complete our online commercial course enrolment form. After receiving your enrolment, we will then email you a booking confirmation with a request to pay a deposit to ensure your place on the course.

Please review the Language Literacy and Numeracy (LLN) skill requirements for our courses. We will issue you with a LLN test that must be completed prior to course commencement. This test will reveal if you require any extra support through your training and a training plan will be drawn up for you. Please feel free to contact us if you feel you may need extra support.

If you need to cancel your course due to an emergency or work, be assured your course enrolment can be transferred to another date, course or person within a 12 month period or, you can apply for a refund in extenuating circumstances.

To receive the full qualification you must demonstrate competency in all units and meet all course requirements including qualification of the required sea service and evidence of completed HLTAID011.

If you don’t achieve competency in some of the units, Sea School’s Competency Not Achieved Assessment Policy allows you to return to attend specified classes to re-sit training and/or assessments at no cost within a 12 month period. Should you not complete the whole course then you will receive a statement of attainment for the units you’ve completed.

Please read the AMSA requirements for the Certificate of competency for this course.

You will need to submit an Application for a Certificate of Competency (industry licence) to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. This can be completed at any Registered Australia Post Retail Outlet. Please check you’ve met the requirements and complete a 426 application form.

This course requires you to provide the following evidence prior to certification:*

• 5 days sea service on commercial vessels

*Please note that you are expected to gain this sea service independently.

The GPH certificate is made up of 8 units of competency:

MAR10220 Certificate I in Maritime Operations (General Purpose Hand Near Coastal)

• MARB053
  Assist with routine maintenance on a commercial vessel
• MARF027
  *Apply basic survival skills in the event of vessel abandonment
• MARG012
  Work as part of a crew on a commercial vessel
• MARF028
  Follow procedures to minimise and fight fires on board a vessel
• MARF029
  Meet work health and safety requirements
• MARF030
  *Survive at sea using survival craft
• MARN016
  Apply general purpose hand skills aboard a commercial vessel
• HLTAID011
  Provide First Aid (not included in course timetable - students to provide evidence)

All of our assessments are conducted through online software in class.

• Credit Transfers (CT) are granted if you have successfully completed a course that contains the same units as the Sea School course you've enrolled in. You may apply for a CT by providing evidence in the form of a transcript and if CT is granted, you may be exempted from some or all of the coursework.
• Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is based on your work history, sea time and previous studies. You may apply for RPL if you can provide sufficient evidence with a minimum currency of 5 years. An assessor will make a judgement on the evidence provided and if RPL is granted, you may be exempted from some or all of the coursework. A competency conversation interview may be required as part of your portfolio of evidence.

Signing your enrolment form acknowledges your understanding of your rights, obligations and acceptance of Sea School’s terms and conditions. Sea School course costs, timetable, course content, policies and procedures are subject to change without notice. You are required to read the detailed terms and conditions information on our website.