Working offshore without a diploma: is that possible?

Do you want to work offshore, but have you not followed any training to work on a drilling platform? Then you are in luck, because for some jobs on the drilling platform you do not need any education and/or work experience. You can read about which jobs exactly in this article. In this article you can also read what you need to be able to work offshore without a diploma.

Offshore jobs without a degree

There are several offshore jobs without a degree. For example, if you want to become a Maintenance & General Roustabout on a drilling platform, you do not need to follow any training. This is not a technical profession, but a support function that you can also fill without training.

If you have not obtained a diploma to work offshore, this does not mean that you have to work as a Roustabout all your life. You can also grow without a diploma. You simply do this by gaining a few years of experience in the position of Roustabout, and then moving on to a slightly higher position. Once you have gained a few years of experience here, you may be able to progress to a slightly higher position. This way you have a good offshore career, without having followed any training to be able to work offshore.

Offshore jobs with diploma

Of course there are also offshore jobs with diplomas. This often concerns technical positions or positions with more responsibilities, such as a manager. You can also get these positions without a diploma, but then you have to work on a boat platform for several years. In this case, you grow on the platform by gaining the right work experience, not by following a certain training. It takes a little longer, but eventually you can get a higher position without a diploma.

Working offshore without a diploma and the VCA course

Working offshore without a diploma is certainly possible, but you do need a VCA certificate to be able to work on a drilling platform. You can obtain this certificate by following a VCA course.

Some employers on drilling platforms expect you to obtain a VCA certificate yourself. You can only get started with them if you have arranged that you have a VCA certificate in your name. In this case you often have to pay for your VCA course yourself. Other employers help you obtain your VCA certificate. They will register you for a VCA course, pay for the course for you and hire you once you have obtained your certificate. In short: working without a diploma is certainly possible, but you always need a VCA certificate to be able to work on a drilling platform. You can arrange this certificate yourself, but also with the help of your new employer. 

Courses in the offshore sector

There are also many courses in the offshore sector, an popular example of an offshore sector course is the OPITO HOIT Helideck Operations Initial Training. The aim and objective of this training is to understand more about the skills and requirements you need to perform an offshore helicopter landing. If you wanna have a more basic training, then a OSHA training course is also available in many countries.