Train for a job that puts you in command at sea

Are you interested in a career on the water as a tour boat operator or fishing boat captain?

Hampton Roads is the third-largest area in the country that employs captains, mates and pilots and you could be one of them.

The Hampton Roads Maritime Training program (HRMT), offered through Tidewater Community College’s Center for Workforce Solutions, can prepare you to be the captain of a vessel up to 100 tons.

Courses are taught by expert instructors, two of whom recently retired from the U.S. Coast Guard.

In addition, the class has been expanded to include experience on the upgraded Maritime Bridge Simulator, bringing state of the art technology to the class. Simulator time enhances the students’ understanding of the Maritime Rules of the Road, as well as vessel operations in all weather conditions. In addition, navigational lights, sound signals, and radio communications can be integrated into each scenario.

Courses are offered throughout the year. Sessions are offered days and evenings on TCC’s Virginia Beach Campus.

Students who successfully complete these courses do not have to take the U.S. Coast Guard examinations at a regional exam center. The course fee includes tuition and books.

The two U.S. Coast Guard-approved classes running this fall are:

Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels (OUPV), also called the “Six Pack,” as this is the Coast Guard license required for those operating vessels for hire carrying no more than six passengers. The course runs for 76 hours with the next session beginning on Sept. 28 for evening classes and Oct. 11 for day classes.

The second course upgrades the OUPV license to Not More Than 100 Gross Ton Master’s License. This license is required by those operating inspected vessels 100 gross tons or less and providing services for more than six paying passengers. The class runs for 28 hours with the next session beginning on Oct. 25 for days and Dec. 7 for evenings.

TCC is a 2021 Center of Excellence for Domestic Maritime Workforce Training and Education. To register for fall sessions, visit here.

For more information, call (757) 822-7669 or the Virtual Student Support Team at 757-822-1111.