Rigging Training Offshore

Rigging training requirements for offshore jobs are pretty basic. Most outfits like to see someone who has finished high school, either with a diploma or a GED. The ability to do basic math, read plans, and shop skills are also helpful. Since riggers communicate and give directions, having English and other courses in communications are also desirable.

You can go straight to work after high school as a rigger's helper for land based operations, or as a roustabout on the rigging crew for offshore operations. This is on the job rigging training, and really is the best training there is, though classroom training programs can be very helpful as well.

Another option is to enter into a formal rigging apprenticeship program. These are offered in union shops and outfits when more help is needed. If it is available in your area, a union apprenticeship program is really the way to go, as union riggers generally receive higher pay and better benefits. The exception is for offshore riggers, who, though not always unionized, tend to earn more than their land based counterparts.

Rigging apprenticeships, like other apprentice programs, usually last for 3 to 4 years. In addition to on the job training, there will also be a minimum of two hundred and four classroom training hours a year.

Applying for Rigging Training Programs

• You should be a minimum of 18 years old 
• You should have graduated from High School or earned a GED.
• You should be in good physical shape
• You should be clean from drugs and alcohol 

What You Will Learn as a Rigging Trainee

Whether union, classroom, or on the job, rigging trainees will learn how to read blueprints, how to maintain and safely use the tools of the trade, practical math skills for calculating loads and tolerances, welding, and oxyacetaline torch use for cutting.

You will also learn the various types of cranes and their load bearing capacity, the various types of cables and attachments, and the various techniques and equipment used to handle the different load types you may encounter while lifting.

If you would like to enter a formal apprenticeship program, you should contact your local union office. They will be listed in the phone book Yellow Pages under Labor Organizations; you can also find them online.

On the Job Training for Riggers Offshore

If you have any construction or laboring experience, you can go to work directly on the offshore rigs as a roustabout and learn the rigging trade on the job. 

Rigworker has a great reputation in the oil business as a great service for assisting folks in getting hired for jobs that feature rigging training, such as maintenance roustabouts. 

The Oil and Gas Jobs Resource Kit has help led countless men and women to learn which companies are currently hiring, and helped them to apply directly with those employers.

To learn more about getting hired for rigging jobs offshore, be sure to sign up for our free offshore employment guide, a six-part manual on finding work offshore, experienced or not. There is no obligation, and we will be happy to teach you what it takes to land work offshore.

Offshore Rigging Training Home