The On Board Training Record Book for Electro-Technical Officers (ETO Cadets) helps shipowners and managers ensure compliance with international regulations and helps ETO cadets understand the training required to develop their skills and competencies. It can also be used by training academies, administrations and insurers as a universal and standard approach to tracking ETO cadet training and career development.

Taking into account the competences for ETOs established in the IMO STCW Convention, specifically those in section A-III/6 of the STCW Code, the training tasks included have been developed to ensure that cadets make the best use of their seagoing service by highlighting their strengths and identifying areas for further training. 

The Record Book can be used by trainees to provide documentary evidence to government appointed assessors of having completed a structured training programme in accordance with STCW 2010, helps supervising officers make an objective evaluation of whether cadets are competent, and provides employers with the confidence that cadets are developing the correct knowledge needed to be successful in the role. 

The On Board Training Record Book for Electro-Technical Officers (ETO Cadets) features: 

• Structured tasks and competencies to meet STCW assessment requirements;
• Additional tasks concerning safety at work and protection of the environment; and
• Examples of written projects cadets can undertake as part of their training.

The IMO STCW Convention requires that a cadet's seagoing service must be properly structured and recorded in a training record book approved by the maritime administration responsible for issuing certificates of competence and specifically refers to the ICS On Board Training Record Books as an example of such documentation.