The Offshore Client Representative (OCR)

Join the premier industry recognised education programme for Renewable Offshore Client Representatives

Becoming an Offshore Client Representative requires an inquisitive mind, an accumulation of practical understanding, the application of knowledge, and the ability to accurately communicate observations. Consequently, the OCR education programme is designed to combine these elements and help the candidate understand the different requirements for a wide range of situations they may encounter.

  • Topic: Renewable Offshore Client Representative - RECOA Fundamental Education

  • Estimated study time: 30 hours of self-paced studies

  • Price: € 1,100 single payment

  • Language: English

  • Instructor: Chris Weaver

Watch Intro Video

What is an OCR?

RECOA OCR Fundamental Education

The following modules are included

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The OCR education is for you if you can say yes to at least one of the following …

  • I have a desire to work offshore

  • I have been in similar roles in the oil and gas industry

  • I am an experienced offshore or maritime professional

  • I am a technical graduate who wants to start an offshore career

  • I am a professional with several years of practical experience in the industry, who wants to refresh my technical and theoretical knowledge.

A Day in the Life of an OCR

What is the role of an OCR?

Works directly for the Client’s team during offshore construction.

Monitors and report the progress of offshore activities to onshore management team.

Alerts the Client of any situations that could endanger workers or damage assets.

Is the primary point of communication between the construction vessel and the Client’s onshore team.

What characteristics do you require?

You must be both physically and mentally fit, the ability to multitask is appreciated.

You must be prepared to listen, read, and understand how the work will be undertaken.

You must be a good observer and have an eye for detail.

You must be a good communicator, providing unambiguous verbal and written information.

You must be concise, able to describe your observations in a succinct report.

You must be confident, prepared to halt the operation if it becomes dangerous or could harm Client’s assets.

You must absorb the actions going on around you, but if necessary be assertive to ensure the contract is being complied with.

What to expect?

You will have to undertake a medical examination, possibly each year.

You will have to undertake physically demanding offshore safety courses every 2 or 3 years.

You may be the only member of the Client’s team aboard the vessel, but usually you will be in a 12-hour shift pattern with one or more other Client Representatives.

During some operations you may have to work more than 12 hours in one shift, but there will be other periods where work is less intense.

Your rotation aboard the vessel could be planned for just 2 weeks or it could last more than 6, which is a long time away from friends and family.

Sometimes the work will extend beyond your scheduled crew change, so you have to remain flexible.

You may have your own cabin, or you may have to share your sleeping space with other personnel.

You will usually be well fed whether you are working during the day or the night.

On the best vessels your living conditions will be similar to a high-quality hotel but on smaller vessels it may feel like camping, but without the joy of an open fire and toasted marshmallows.

It can be a lonely job… you work for the Client but everyone else onboard is working for the Contractor, so there may be barriers which others don’t want you to pass.

If you are used to constant social media and internet access, you may be surprised that this can be very limited on some vessels, and mobile phones are often banned in some areas of the vessel.

You could earn a substantial salary from working just 180 days offshore each year.

RECOA OCR Graduate
Keith Jones says

"Even with my 30+ years in the subsea cables industry I still found this course very informative. The course content gave me a lot of knowledge to move positively forward into the next step in my career. I highly recommend this for anyone who has the background and looking to move into a client rep position in the future."

Your Instructor

Co-Founder & Senior Instructor Chris Weaver

Chris Weaver has more than 40 years of seagoing experience, since starting as a marine science student aboard a research vessel in the mid-1970s. His early career took him through the British Royal Navy as a seaman officer, later specialising as a hydrographic surveyor. He then worked on subsea projects for Shell, BP, Total, ENI, and other smaller oil & gas operators, before becoming a shipboard project manager for Alcatel Submarine Networks. Between 2006 and 2016 Chris was employed in various West African oil field projects, managing offshore construction and maintenance work in Cote d’Ivoire, Gabon, and Ghana during the winter, and power cable installation at various European offshore wind farms during the summer months. Chris became involved in training in 2014 when he designed the Renewables Offshore Client Representative course and presented it as classroom training in the UK over the following four years. He has a long association with Martin Schnoor Warming, founder of the Renewable Construction Academy, and they have worked together on various renewables projects since 2010.

Learning goals

  • Communication

    You will be aware of the importance of communication and be able to ask the right questions as an OCR.

  • Operational safety

    You will have a comprehensive understanding of the operational safety aspects you need to deal with as an OCR.

  • Laws and documentation

    You will have obtained knowledge about all the different laws and documentation you need to know as an OCR.

About the OCR Education Programme

The Offshore Client Representative (OCR) is a key role in the Client’s Organization. OCRs monitor, assess, and communicate their observations to the onshore project management teams during various phases of offshore construction, inspection, maintenance, and repair operations. They will be involved in the earliest pre-construction field surveys and their involvement will culminate in the end-of-life decommissioning operations.

Candidates for the role of OCR will have been in the marine industry for a number of years. Emphasis during this course will focus on refining their observation and communication skills as well as practical advice about their specific function in the Client’s management organization.


What can you expect from this education programme?

The package is broken down into modules, each forming a presentation between 20 and 60 minutes long. We have focused on Offshore Wind during the current version of the course, as this is by far the most predominant and rapidly expanding marine renewables industry. However, most of the modules in this package have content which is pertinent to other areas of offshore renewable energy, such as seabed tidal turbines, wave power generators and moored energy harvesting systems.

Whereas many courses focus on industry regulation and compliance, we believe this detail needs to be taught by other specialists outside our organisation due to the local and regional variations in the requirements. 

We provide practical information and examples of what can go wrong if basic rules and standards are not followed, but not the fine detail prescribed by individual governments or international bodies. We focus on a broad, practical overview that identifies the snags and snares that can quickly halt work if not identified by the OCR. 

Our aim is to instill confidence in the OCR candidate that their employer will appreciate from the very first day that they take up their offshore role.


The OCR education programme broadly covers: 

- An Introduction to marine renewable energy 

- An overview of wind farm development 

- Renewable Energy Zones 

- Role of the Offshore Client Representative 

- Aspects of international maritime law 

- Environmental protection / management 

- Civil & Contractual law 

- Professional behaviour 

- Contract compliance 

- Communication & interaction between the Client and the Contractor 

- Safety 

- Risk assessments, method statements and management of change 

- Controlled zones & simultaneous operations at site 

- Dealing with incidents & accident investigation 

Testimonial about OCR Education

by Zhan-Zhao Lin

“If I had this knowledge when I first entered the industry, it would definitely make me better at work. Although I have already worked in this industry for 2 years, the education still gave me some fundamental knowledge I didn’t know. Without hesitation, I can tell you this course will be the easiest way for you to gain knowledge about the offshore wind industry and the role as an Offshore Client Representative.”

Testimonial about OCR Education

by Keith Jones

“Even with my 30+ years in the subsea cables industry I still found this course very informative. The course content gave me a lot of knowledge to move positively forward into the next step in my career. I highly recommend this for anyone who has the background and looking to move into a client rep position in the future”

Testimonial about OCR Education

by Tsung-Hsien Wu

““The OCR Education opens the door for you to gain extensive knowledge about working in the offshore renewable energy. This Education provides the offshore experience to those who have the eagerness to learn and grow. From day-to-day responsibilities and safety awareness to offshore operations and management, you can clearly benefit from this course and learn more about the offshore renewable energy. I highly recommend this course to anyone who would be interested to move one step forward to be involved in offshore renewable energy”

The education material includes:

  • Video

    In some of the videos the instructor will talk directly to you. In other videos you will be presented with relevant material while the instructor speaks in the background.

  • Illustrations

    Photographs are used to illustrate important parts of the education process. They will help you to visualise and identify the subjects presented by the instructor.

  • Audio

    An audio sound track together with text subtitles is provided for most modules. You have the option to hear or read the content of each module.

  • Text

    Some lessons are presented as text. Many of these are accompanied by pictures or videos. You also have the option to listen to the text lessons as an audio presentation.

  • Graphics

    The graphics that appear in the lessons are carefully selected to support the education material. A complex operation is often better represented as an animated graphic than as a verbal or text description.

  • Downloadable content

    Some of the learning material in this education will be downloadable. By downloading the material, it become easier to access it, even when you are offline.