General norms for institutes for the conduct of

A5. GUIDELINES FOR ACCEPTABLE EXPERIENCE FOR ENGINEERS IN TRAINING

The DGS is charged with the responsibility of regulating the Pre sea and Post sea MET within the country . The duties of the DGS with respect to the safeguarding of the public are clearly defined within the legislation embodied within the M. S. Act. Similarly, the responsibilities of the individual engineer to the public, the employer, and fellow engineers are embodied within the framework of the code of professional conduct, contained within the provisions of the Act, the META MANUALS and the STCW code These documents together serve to define the Practice of Marine Engineering. The Engineer-in-Training is strongly advised to obtain a copy of these documents for review.

The Practice of Engineering involves a requirement for ongoing experience to enhance one's competence in the field of practice. It is the responsibility of each individual Engineer to judge when his or her competence is appropriate for a particular engineering activity and when it is necessary to refer to someone with more relative expertise. This is the essence of a self-regulated profession.

It is therefore very important that the minimum period of experience for an Engineer-in-Training (EIT) involve not only the application of appropriate technical knowledge, but also exposure to the kind of activity that will achieve the necessary level of judgment regarding personal competence.

It has been deemed that this level of judgment can only be properly achieved through direct association with one or more of one's peers in the profession.

For this reason, the Directorate General of Shipping , through the META manuals has decided to publish and distribute a set of guidelines pertaining to the type and depth of experience deemed desirable for Marine Engineers-in-Training (MEIT's) to acquire during their period of apprenticeship. This document is therefore directed at three primary audiences:

• 
  the Engineer-in-Training;
  
• 
  the sponsoring engineer who certifies the MEIT's experience.
  
• 
  the employer of the Engineer-in-Training or the trainee
  
• 
  the META manuals are intended as a guideline to promote consistency in the interpretation of the experience requirements for entry to the Marine engineering profession.

  The META manuals address four primary aspects :

  
  

1. 
   Describes the rational for the basics of eligibility.
   
2. 
   Provides guidelines in some depth for the scope and breadth of experience that the DGS recommends for MEIT's.
   
3. 
   Describes the procedure required of an MEIT to become registered as a candidate for certifications.
   
4. 
   the Role of the Chief Examiner of Engineers Committee, provides an overview of the function of this committee, especially as it relates to the certification of engineering experience.
   

These guidelines go into areas of training and code for institutions and trainees not addressed in the META manuals.