SAN FRANCISCO – The Board of Pilot Commissioners for the Bays of San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun (BOPC) announced plans to host an examination for entrance into the maritime Pilot Trainee Training Program during the week of June 3, 2019. Applications are due no later than April 1, 2019.
The BOPC typically conducts maritime pilot trainee training program selection examinations every two to three years, or when there is a need for licensed pilots. The last examination was held in 2017. Candidates who are successful on the examination may be selected to enter the BOPC Pilot Trainee Training Program, which lasts from one to three years.
“BOPC-licensed pilots navigate large tankers, container vessels and cruise ships on very challenging shallow waters,” said Jennifer Ferrera Schmid, BOPC President. “BOPC licensed pilots are highly skilled mariners, and I have confidence that the upcoming trainee program selection examination will once again result in a list of exceptional candidates to participate in one of the most rigorous port pilot training programs in the nation.”
The BOPC is the only state-level maritime pilot commission in California, and licenses up to 60 pilots to guide large vessels on the Bays of San Francisco, San Pablo, Suisun, Monterey, and navigable tributaries to Stockton and Sacramento. The pilotage ground covers 70 separate
terminals across ten counties.
“Working as a San Francisco Bar Pilot is one of the most prestigious jobs in the port pilot industry,” said Allen Garfinkle, Executive Director of the BOPC. “Our licensees enjoy being members of an elite group of professionals working in one of the world’s most scenic environments in the nation.”
Information about the Pilot Trainee Training Program selection examination can be found on the BOPC’s website at www.bopc.ca.gov.
The Board of Pilot Commissioners for the Bays of San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun is the oversight body that licenses, trains and regulates up to 60 pilots who presently make up the San Francisco Bar Pilots. The BOPC was established in California’s first Legislative Session in 1850 and is the oldest commission in California. The BOPC is a constituent entity within the California State Transportation Agency. Its responsibilities include maritime pilot training, licensing, regulating, incident investigation and pilotage rate recommendations to the Legislature. The BOPC is funded by the shipping industry through surcharges collected upon the provision of services by BOPC-licensees. The BOPC is not funded by state or local taxes.
The Women Offshore Foundation is an online organization and resource center for a diverse workforce on the water. Its mission is to propel women into meaningful careers through access to a worldwide community and professional development resources, while raising awareness amongst industry leaders and decision makers about issues affecting women on the water. Contact Women Offshore today: [email protected].
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