Home⇛International Journal of Multidisciplinary: Applied Business and Education Research⇛vol. 6 no. 10 (2025)

Development of a Structured Competency Training Program for Coast Guard Non-Maritime Junior Billet Officers

Sean Jayner D. Cabral

Discipline: maritime technology

 

Abstract:

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), as the premier national agency responsible for maritime safety, security, and marine environmen-tal protection, relies on competent shipboard officers and seawor-thy vessels to achieve mission readiness and success. However, many shipboard officers lack collegiate maritime education, creat-ing challenges amid the PCG Modernization Program. This study de-veloped a competency-based training program to enhance the ship-board capabilities of these non-maritime officers. Using a mixed-method design, it surveyed Junior Shipboard Operational Level Course (JSOLC) instructors to evaluate course effectiveness, inter-viewed PCG commanding officers and merchant marine mas-ters/chief engineers for insights on essential watchstanding compe-tencies and best practices, and tested 49 current non-maritime of-ficers on their knowledge and understanding of watchstanding and Coast Guard-specific protocols. The findings revealed strengths in PCG customs and protocols but significant gaps in collision regula-tions, navigation, marine engineering, and practical shiphandling. These deficiencies underscore the need for targeted training to align skills with operational demands. Based on the results, a structured competency-based training program was developed to address these gaps, improving shipboard efficiency and supporting mission success. The program emphasizes practical modules in navigation, shiphandling, and engineering, supplemented by STCW-aligned as-sessments. This contributes to competency-based training litera-ture by highlighting education-job mismatch in Coast Guard-mari-time contexts and offers practical recommendations for PCG ship-board curriculum enhancement.



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