CPC-2-7-04 — Accreditation of Institutes for Instruction of the ROC

Issue 1
January 2008

Comments and suggestions may be directed to the following address:

Industry Canada
Spectrum Management and Operations Branch
235 Queen Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0H5

Attention: DOS

email: ic.spectrumpublications-publicationsduspectre.ic@canada.ca

All Spectrum Management and Telecommunications publications are available on the following website: http://www.ic.gc.ca/spectrum.

1. Principle

The Minister of Industry, through the Department of Industry Act, the Radiocommunication Act and the Radiocommunication Regulations, with due regard to the objectives of the Telecommunications Act, is responsible for spectrum management in Canada. As such, the Minister oversees the development of national policies and goals for spectrum resource use and ensures effective management of the radio frequency spectrum.

2. Intent

Industry Canada shall accredit training institutes and schools which offer instruction and examination for obtaining an Restricted Operator's Certificate — Maritime Commercial (ROC-MC) and/or General Operator Certificate (GOC). Accreditation means that the program of instruction has been inspected and reviewed by Industry Canada to confirm that there is sufficient material and equipment for the instruction of individuals for these two certificates. In accordance with the accreditation, these institutes will be authorized to conduct the appropriate training and examination on behalf of Industry Canada.

3. Background

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) have designated four certificates as set out in the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW-95) regulations to qualify individuals to operate on board Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) equipped ships. Canada has established and developed two of these certificates: the Restricted Operator's Certificate — Maritime Commercial and the General Operator Certificate.

4. Mandate

The Minister of Industry is empowered to issue radio operator certificates in accordance with paragraph 5(1)(iii) of the Radiocommunication Act.

5. Accreditation Process

5.1 Accreditation Application Procedure

An institute which would like to be considered for accreditation should send its request in writing to the Radio Operator Certificate Service Centre (see Annex D). The request shall outline:

the course curriculum, broken down by hours of theoretical and practical study;
the list of instructors and their professional qualifications and operational experience or acceptable equivalent;
the training facilities; and
the course material, list of equipment, copy of exams and type of simulator, if applicable.

5.2 Accreditation Inspection

If the application appears to be in order, arrangements will be made for a representative of Industry Canada to visit the institute to confirm the information contained in the application. Annex A and/or Annex B will be used by the Industry Canada representative to document whether the institute meets accreditation requirements for the course requested. If no deficiencies are found, an accreditation letter similar to the sample letter found in Annex C will be sent to the organization concerned. Prior to the commencement of the first course, Industry Canada will outline the procedure for the transmittal of examination results. If any deficiencies in the course material or equipment are found, the institute will be notified in writing. All deficiencies must be corrected before accreditation will be granted.

5.3 Course Syllabus

The course of instruction for the ROC-MC should conform, as much as possible, to the Industry Canada Radiocommunication Information Circular 25, Syllabus for the Restricted Operator's Certificate — Maritime Commercial, (RIC-25)

The course of instruction for the GOC should conform, as much as possible, to the Industry Canada Radiocommunication Information Circular 26, Syllabus for the General Operator Certificate, (RIC-26).

5.4 Course Length

The course length for the ROC-MC should be no less than 20 hours of theory and 4 hours of practical (3 days) classroom instruction. There must be enough practical instruction to enable the student to operate a GMDSS equipped ship for the ROC-MC in the A1 sea area. However, this certification may be delivered and achieved through an abridged or refresher course as outlined in RIC-25.

The course length for the GOC should be no less than 65 hours (10 days) of classroom instruction. There must be enough practical instruction to enable the student to operate a GMDSS equipped ship for the GOC in the A1, A2, A3 and A4 sea areas. Likewise this certificate may be delivered and achieved through a refresher course as outlined in RIC-26.

5.5 Class Size

In order to ensure that instructors are able to provide an adequate level of practical instruction, a class size of a maximum of 12 students is recommended.

5.6 Challenge Examination, Abridged and Refresher Courses

The Department recommends that an accredited institute develop components of their certification course that make provision for challenge examinations, abridged and refresher courses in accordance with RIC-25 and RIC-26.

5.7 Instructors

The accredited institute shall ensure that the instructors hold a valid certificate of equal or higher level in order to deliver and examine candidates for the ROC-MC and/or the GOC. Instructors should also have operating experience in the GMDSS environment.

5.8 Facilities

Institutes shall have facilities suitable for both theoretical and practical instruction. For the practical training component, adequate working space and separate working areas are recommended for trainees.

5.9 Equipment

Institutes shall use the recommended equipment listed in Annex A and Annex B for the ROC-MC and the GOC course respectively. There are two methods of training students in practical operation; using actual equipment or using computer simulation, or both.

Note: If actual equipment is used, dummy loads, a reduction in power, or both are required in order to prevent false alarms from being transmitted to Search and Rescue stations.

Annex A — Accreditation Checklist — Inspection Form Restricted Operator's Certificate — Maritime Commercial (ROC-MC)

Annex A — Accreditation Checklist – Inspection Form Restricted Operator's Certificate – Maritime Commercial (ROC-MC)
				Comments		Adequate
Facilities						yes	no
(a)	Course curriculum	(a)Knowledge of the basic features of the maritime mobile service
		(b) GMDSS concept & regulations
		(c)Practical knowledge (ability to use GMDSS equipment)
		(d) Distress, safety communication procedure
(b)	Instructors	ROC-MC certificate
(b)	Instructors	Operational experience
(c)	Course material			(obtain copies)
Equipment
(a)	VHF Txcvr/Rxcvr with DSC & DSC watch Rxcvr for channel 70
(b)	Dummy EPIRB (406 MHz/1.6 GHz) with hydrostatic release
(c)	Dummy SART
(d)	NAVTEX receiver
(e)	Portable VHF radiotelephone with charger
(f)	Personal computer/Simulator (1 per 2 students)
(g)	Battery inverters and emergency power supply
(h)	Signs and markings (Administration for GMDSS ship stations)
Accreditation Inspection						Completed
Accreditation Inspection						yes	no
(a)	Review procedure for submitting exam results
(b)	Certification letter issued
Administrative Information			Accredited by:		Date of accreditation:

Annex B — Accreditation Checklist — Inspection Form General Operator Certificate (GOC)

Annex B — Accreditation Checklist – Inspection Form General Operator Certificate (GOC)
				Comments		Adequate
Facilities						yes	no
(a)	Course curriculum	(a)Knowledge of the basic features of the maritime mobile service
		(b) GMDSS concept & regulations
		(c)Practical knowledge (ability to use GMDSS equipment)
		(d) Distress, safety communication procedure
(b)	Instructors	ROC-MC certificate
(b)	Instructors	Operational experience
(c)	Course material			(obtain copies)
Equipment
(a)	VHF Txcvr/Rxcvr with DSC & DSC watch Rxcvr for channel 70
(b)	Dummy EPIRB (406 MHz/1.6GHz) with hydrostatic release
(c)	Dummy SART
(d)	NAVTEX receiver
(e)	Portable VHF radiotelephone with charger
(f)	Personal computer/Simulator (1 per 2 students)
(g)	Battery inverters and emergency power supply
(h)	Signs and markings (Administration for GMDSS ship stations)
Accreditation Inspection						Completed
Accreditation Inspection						yes	no
(a)	Review procedure for submitting exam results
(b)	Certification letter issued
Administrative Information			Accredited by:		Date of accreditation:

Annex C — Sample Letter of Accreditation

Dear

Further to our visit of (date) for the purpose of reviewing the facilities and course material produced by your institute, we are pleased to inform you that (name of marine organization or institute) meets all of the criteria required for accreditation to conduct instructional courses and examinations for the:

space to insert checkmark Restricted Operator's Certificate — Maritime Commercial (ROC-MC) as outlined in RIC-25;

space to insert checkmark General Operator Certificate (GOC) as outlined inRIC-26.

This accreditation is on behalf of Industry Canada and is in accordance with the GMDSS STCW-95 regulations. This accreditation is valid until suspended or revoked. Failure to maintain the standard and quality of the course material and instruction that were in place at your institute at the time of our accreditation review may result in the suspension or revocation of this accreditation.

I would like to thank you again for the time and hospitality that you afforded us during our visit, and I wish you all the best in the delivery of this program.

Sincerely,

Annex D — Radio Operator Certificates Service Centre

In October 2010, Industry Canada opened a new centralized Radio Operator Certificate Service Centre. The Centre is intended to streamline and improve the delivery of Professional Radio Operator Certificates and the Accredited Examiner Program across Canada.

In addition, a new website was recently launched, which provides an accredited examiner search option for the Restricted Operator Certificate - Aeronautical (ROC-A) and includes a current list of accredited institutions for the training and assessment for the Restricted Operator Certificate - Maritime Commercial (ROC-MC) and the General Operator Certificate (GOC). This website, which can be found at www.ic.gc.ca/radio-operator, also offers various online application forms for accredited examiners and radio certificate holders.

The above-mentioned Centre provides the following services:

receives and processes applications for an Operator Certificate;
issues Professional Radio Operator Certificates;
revalidates and issues replacement certificates;
manages the Accredited Examiner/Institute Program; and
responds to examiner and general public enquiries.

The types of Professional Radio Operator Certificates issued by the Centre are:

Restricted Operator Certificate — Aeronautical (ROC-A);
Restricted Operator Certificate — Maritime Commercial (ROC-MC); and
General Operator Certificate (GOC).

Note: The Restricted Operator Certificate - Maritime (ROC-M) was delegated to the Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons in 2000.

The contact information for the Centre is:

Industry Canada
Radio Operator Certificate Service Centre
2 Queen Street East
Sault Ste. Marie, ON P6A 1Y3
Telephone: 1-877-604-7493 or 705-941-2001
Fax: 1-877-604-7491 or 705-941-4607

Email: ic.spectrumcertificates-certificatsduspectre.ic@canada.ca

Hours of Operation: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Eastern Time)

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CPC-2-7-04 — Accreditation of Institutes for Instruction of the ROC — MC and the GOC

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