SKIPPER EDUCATION

As a skipper, you have the ultimate responsibility of the ship. This includes ensuring that working procedures and operations comply with the law.

You are also responsible for the work environment, safety conditions on board and safe shipping on clean oceans.

Applicants are required to have passed the equivalent of the 9th form exams in the Faroese ‘fólkaskúlin’ public school, with a minimum mark of 6 (02 on the new marking scale) in the following subjects: Faroese, Danish, English, physics, chemistry and mathematics. Contact Sjónám for details on international equivalents.

Additional requirements are 36 months of approved seagoing service on seagoing ships with a gross tonnage of 20 or above – 18 of these months may be served after completion of the education.

The college may offer exemptions from these requirements if applicants have alternative qualifications considered sufficient for the satisfactory and timely completion of the education.

If you have completed the rating education, the period of required approved seagoing service on seagoing ships with a gross tonnage (GT) of 20 or above is reduced to 15 months, of which 7,5 months may be served after completion of the education.

Also required is a valid health certificate for seafarers, including vision and hearing screening certification no older than 2 years.

For further information about the rating education Click here

The skipper certificate qualifies you to work as the captain or deck officer on fishing vessels of all sizes and on merchant ships up to 3,000 GT.

Register here. You can also send your completed application (including school certificate, discharge book, health certificate and birth certificate) to sjonam@sjonam.fo or by post to:

Sjónám

Faktorsvegur 14

700 Klaksvík

Faroe Islands

Applications are processed on a first-come, first-served basis, provided that a minimum of 4 candidates apply and the entry requirements are met.

Executive order regarding the skipper education:

Read the Faroese executive order no. 107 of 20. September 2005 about skipper education here (in Faroese only).

Pursuant to the current executive order no. 105 of 5 August 2015 on certificates of competency and qualification requirements for ship crews, an approved training record book is usually required for a certificate of competency to be issued. For further details, click here (in Faroese only).

Download the training record book here (in Danish).

Sjónám cannot offer accommodation for its participants. Accommodation queries can be directed to Klaksvík information centre or the Tekniski Skúli college. It is also possible to advertise for rental properties in local media.

If you have any questions, feel free to call Sjónám at +298 665888.