This matters to me because it's my job to deliver the training.
The old process detailed in
MGN156(M) was really only ever a mutant hybrid solution, patched together from the vital organs of seemingly relevant, existing Merchant Navy courses to meet the needs of STCW95. It limped along for nearly two decades doing an important job but like the Frankenstein's monster that it was, doing it badly.
I know this because I've been trying to kick it to life continuously since 2001.
The new SV system is custom made, from scratch, to meet the needs of engineers in the industry, whilst broadening the range of vessels to which the CoC applies to include other vessels with similar machinery. Both the content of the courses and the service requirements have been improved and updated. It's gonna be much better. I am genuinely enthusiastic about this new system and the improvements it will bring.
Provision is made for any current yacht CoC holder to convert into the new SV certification structure at any level. The requirements for conversion are detailed in
MIN524(M+F) along with all the other details of the new SV system. CoC holders would be very wise to study this document and to plot their next step carefully. I expect that conversions will be the main source of new certificate holders until the first pure SV candidates have progressed through the system. Below is a diagram of the SV Engineering Route or select the link at the end of this article for a downloadable version.
