Electro-Technical Officer (ETO) – Special Training (STCW III/6)

The Electro-Technical Officer (ETO) special training is a 190-hour programme for electrical and electronics technicians whose school or university education did not cover the STCW A-III/6 syllabus. You must complete it before you sign on as an ETO trainee and work towards the STCW III/6 certificate of competency.

The course runs in Rijeka with our sister institution, Pučko otvoreno učilište Libar. It is one of the training centres the Croatian Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure lists as approved to deliver the ETO special programme.

Who this course is for

• Graduates of a 3- or 4-year secondary electrotechnical school
• Holders of an undergraduate electrotechnical degree

This applies when your programme did not include the STCW A-III/6 content. If it did, you don’t need this course and can go straight to sea service as an ETO trainee. Not sure? Send us your diploma and a training advisor will check it with you.

If you finished a 3-year school, you need at least 36 months at sea as a ship’s electrician or ETO, in the engine department of a ship of 750 kW or more, before you take the programme.

What you’ll study

Module	Hours	What it covers
Ship mechanical engineering	50	Main and auxiliary engines, pumps, compressors, steering gear and the engine-room systems an ETO works alongside
Ship automation	60	Sensors, control loops, PLCs, alarm and monitoring systems, and fault-finding on automated machinery
Ship power engineering	80	Generators, main and emergency switchboards, power distribution, electric motors and drives, and safe work on shipboard electrical installations
Total	190

From course to certificate

1. Complete this course. You receive a certificate of completion of the special training.
2. Get a trainee logbook (vježbenički dnevnik) at the Harbour Master’s Office before you sign on. Bring your school diploma and the course certificate.
3. Serve at least 6 months at sea as an ETO trainee, with your training recorded in the logbook.
4. Hold the required certificates (list below) and a valid seafarer’s medical certificate.
5. Pass the ETO examination at the Harbour Master’s Office. Apply at least 7 days before the exam, with your logbook.
6. Receive your certificate of competency as Electro-Technical Officer (STCW III/6), valid for 5 years.

Certificates you need for the exam

• Basic Safety Training (STCW A-VI/1)
• Advanced Training in Fire Fighting (STCW VI/3)
• Proficiency in Survival Craft and Rescue Boats (STCW A-VI/2-1)
• Medical First Aid (STCW VI/4-1)
• Leadership and Teamwork (HELM), operational level
• Marine Environmental Awareness (prevention of marine pollution)

Missing one? We run them at our centres, so you can complete them before, alongside or after the ETO course. A training advisor can help you plan the order.

Fee and enrolment

The course fee is €1,850. Enrol with the form on this page. A training advisor confirms your place and sends you the enrolment documents.

Questions about the ETO course

Does a 3-year technical school qualify?

Yes, if you have at least 36 months at sea as a ship’s electrician or ETO, in the engine department of a ship of 750 kW or more, before the course.

Do I need sea service before the course?

Not with a 4-year school or a degree. The 6 months as an ETO trainee come after the course. Only 3-year school graduates need sea service (36 months) beforehand.

I’m already a ship’s electrician. Do I still need a trainee logbook?

No, if you hold a ship’s electrician certificate (HR III/2 or STCW III/7) and have at least 12 months of sea service in the engine department. You still need this course if your education did not cover the A-III/6 content.

I hold the ship’s electronics technician certificate (HR III/3). What now?

You can exchange it for the STCW III/6 certificate, provided you hold a valid medical certificate and the required certificates listed above. Ask a training advisor before you enrol.

How do I renew the ETO certificate?

The certificate is valid for 5 years. To renew it you need at least 12 months of sea service as an ETO in the last 5 years, or 3 months in the last 6 months, plus a valid medical certificate. Without enough sea service, you can take a renewal exam.