Contractors' training programme
ISA Contractors have a legal obligation to provide and fund training opportunities for personnel from developing States and those of ISA.
The legal basis for the requirement stems from the provisions of UNCLOS and the 1994 Agreement and is set out in the standard terms of contracts. Its purpose is to ensure that personnel from developing States are provided with appropriate operational expertise to enable them to participate in deep seabed mining.
The training programme is generally formulated following negotiations between ISA and the contractor and included as schedule 3 of the contract for exploration.
All short-term training opportunities for suitable candidates from developing States provided by ISA Contractors will be listed on this site.
Active Training Opportunities
| Training Opportunity | Application Deadline |
| 25 July 2025 | |
| 30 September 2025 |
Training Opportunities Under Implementation
- Blue Minerals Jamaica (BMJ)
- Cook Islands Investment Corporation (CIIC)
- China Minmetals Corporation (CMC)
- China Ocean Mineral Resources(COMRA)
- Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR)
- French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea (IFREMER)
- Global Sea Mineral Resources NV (GSR)
- Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC)
- JSC Yuzhmorgeologiya (Yuzh)
- Marawa Research and Exploration Ltd. (Marawa)
- Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) of the Government of India
- Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries of the Republic of Korea
- Nauru Ocean Resources Inc. (NORI)
- Tonga Offshore Mining Ltd. (TOML)
Completed Training Opportunities
- Beijing Pioneer Hi-tech. Development Corporation Ltd. (BPC)
- China Minmetals Corporation (CMC)
- CMC – PMN – At-Sea Training (2024, 3 trainees)
- CMC At-Sea Training (2019, 4 trainees)
- China Ocean Mineral Resources R&D Association (COMRA)
- COMRA – CFC – At-sea training (2024, 4 trainees)
- COMRA – PMS – Engineering Training (2024, 4 trainees)
- COMRA – PMN -Engineering trainings (2024, 5 trainees)
- COMRA – CFC – Engineering trainings (2024, 2 trainees)
- COMRA – PMS – At-sea trainings (2024, 6 trainees)
- COMRA At-sea Training (6 trainees)
- COMRA Engineering Training (2018, 2 trainees)
- COMRA Fellowship Training (2017, 3 trainees)
- COMRA At-Sea Training (2016, 5 trainees)
- COMRA Fellowship Training (2015, 2 trainees)
- COMRA Engineering Training (2015, 2 trainees)
- COMRA At-Sea Training (2014, 4 trainees)
- Companhia de Pesquisa de Recursos Minerais (CPRM)
- Cook Islands Investment Corporation (CIIC)
- Deep Ocean Resources Development Co. Ltd. (DORD)
- Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR)
- BGR – PMN – 4x Dive 3, Deep Dive (2024)
- BGR – PMS – At-sea & Post cruise trainings (2023-2024, 4 trainees)
- BGR – PMS – At-sea & Post cruise trainings (2023-2024, 2 trainees)
- BGR – At-sea and post cruise trainings (2023, 4 trainees)
- BGR At-Sea Training (2018, 2 trainees)
- BGR At-Sea Training (2017, 4 trainees)
- BGR At-Sea Training (2015, 6 trainees)
- BGR At-Sea Training (2014, 2 trainees)
- French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea (IFREMER)
- IFREMER –PMS – Internship (2024, 1 trainee)
- IFREMER – PMS – Geological internship (2024, 1 trainee)
- IFREMER – PMN – 1x Internship & 1x At-sea training (2023-2024)
- IFREMER – PMS – 3x Internships (2023)
- Ifremer
- Ifremer,Internship (2019, 1 trainee)
- Ifremer Internship (2018, 2 trainees)
- Ifremer Internship (2017, 2 trainees)
- Ifremer At-Sea (2017, 1 trainee)
- Ifremer Internships (2016, 5 trainees)
- Global Sea Mineral Resources NV (GSR)
- Interoceanmental Joint Organization (IOM)
- IOM – PMN – 5x multidisciplinary trainings (2023)
- IOM, multidisciplinary training (2019, 2 trainees)
- IOM multidisciplinary training (2018, 2 trainees)
- Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC)
- JSC Yuzhmorgeologiya (Yuzh)
- Yuzh – PMN – 6x Theoretical trainings (2022)
- JSC Yuzhmorgeologiya Theoretical & At-Sea Training (2018, 6 trainees)
- Marawa Research and Exploration Ltd (Marawa)
- Marawa – PMN – 3x Dive 3, Deep Dive (2024)
- Marawa – PMN – 3x Dive 1, Deep Dive (2023)
- MARAWA
- Marawa
- Marawa, Professional development training (2019, 2 trainees)
- Ministry of Earth Sciences of India (MOES)
- Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation (MNRE)
- MNRE – PMS – Theoretical Trainings (2024, 2 trainees)
- MNRE – CFC – Theoretical Trainings (2024, 5 trainees)
- MNRE
- MNRE
- Russian Federation At-Sea Training (2017, 5 trainees)
- Russian Federation At-Sea Training (2015, 2 trainees)
- Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries of the Republic of Korea (MOF-ROK)
- MOF-ROK – 4x Dive 3, Deep Dive (2024)
- MOF-ROK – CFC- At-sea trainings (2024, 2 trainees)
- MOF-ROK – PMS – At-sea trainings (2024, 2 trainees)
- MOF-ROK – CFC – 2x At-sea trainings (2023)
- MOF, Republic of Korea
- MOF, Republic of Korea, Year-long Internship (2019, 1 trainee)
- MOF, Republic of Korea, six-month Internships (2019, 2 trainees)
- MOF, Republic of KoreaAt-Sea Training (2019, 2 trainees)
- MOF, Republic of Korea At-Sea Training (2018, 4 trainees)
- MOF, Republic of Korea At-Sea Training (2017, 2 trainees)
- Nauru Ocean Resources Inc. (NORI)
- Ocean Minerals Singapore
- OMS – PMN – 4x Master’s Fellowships (2023-2024)
- OMS, Internship (2019, 8 trainees)
- Tonga Offshore Mining Ltd. (TOML)
- UK Seabed Resources Ltd. (UKSR I)
- UKSR I – PMN – 8x Online trainings (2023)
- UKSRL PhD Programme (2015-2019, 2 trainees)
- UK Seabed Resources Ltd. (UKSR II)
Active = the opportunities are still open for submission of applications.
Under implementation = closed for application but selection in progress.
How to Apply
- The manual application forms for training have been phased out. All applications should be completed using the web form. Applicants are required to use the online portal to submit applications together with a copy of their passport photo and the signed nomination form indicating a preference for either the geological or environmental programme, degree/certificate and résumé.
Required Qualification
- The required qualifications are provided for each training opportunity.
Disclaimer
- Employees of the Authority’s exploration contractors are not eligible to apply to the Contractors’ Training Programme.
