The Sea -
A Degree with a Difference and a Great Career
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| The Ship Safe Training Group - find out more Maersk - Careers at Sea - find out more The Royal Fleet Auxiliary - find out more |
With the ocean as your backdrop and your workplace the most advanced and sophisticated ships in the world – there really is nothing to compare with life at sea. A career at sea offers a unique way of life, and the opportunities for both men and women have never been better. A new officer training scheme for the Merchant Navy will allow you to follow a fully sponsored Foundation Degree course (Professional Diploma in Scotland). It really is a degree with a difference - so why not let someone else pay for you to see the world?
Operating ships provides a challenging career, and a far from average job. You could be in charge of a technically sophisticated ship and its cargo worth millions of pounds, or you could have responsibility for all the mechanical and electrical equipment throughout the ship – including its engines, pumps, fuel systems, control equipment, generating plant and electronic/automated equipment. After working at sea, you will have the opportunity to transfer your seafaring skills to a variety of marine-related technical and commercial occupations ashore.
The British Shipping industry is a vital national industry. It is an industry of the future – well managed, technologically advanced and committed to respecting the environment. The British merchant fleet operates worldwide as part of an essential global business that is highly efficient, hugely competitive and expanding. The fleet includes many of the world’s largest and most modern ships, from tankers to cruise ships.
Life at sea is very different from life on shore, and each ship is different. The number of crew, and the range of skills that are needed aboard any vessel are governed by the size and type of ship and her trading pattern. Cruise ships and passenger ferries are effectively mobile hotels, and require large crews and hotel and entertainment staff, sometimes amounting to thousands, other merchant ships mostly operate with a small tightly knit team who run the ship round the clock and throughout the year. Leave time is generous to compensate for time spent on board and away from home. For example, after a voyage of around four months, you could get around two months or more on leave.
Whether you train for the deck or the engineering department, you will receive all the training and hands-on experience that will eventually equip you to manoeuvre an oil tanker or maintain the propulsion system of a cruise liner. Deck officers are responsible for controlling the navigation of a ship, communications, cargo handling and ship stability. The ship’s Captain, who has responsibility for the well-being of the entire ship and all aboard her, comes from this department.
The engine department, under the Chief Engineer, is responsible for the provision and maintenance of all technical services on board, and with the high degree of automation and instrumentation on modern ships, the engine control room is the nerve centre for all the propulsion and auxiliary systems
The exact title of your Foundation Degree/Scottish Professional Diploma may vary by College/University but will be in either of the following subject areas, both of which include study for professional seafaring certification known as the Officer of the Watch Certificate of Competency
• Marine Operations for Deck Officer
• Marine Engineering for Engineering Officer
The entry requirements for the Foundation Degrees/ Scottish Professional Diplomas are 120 UCAS points in unspecified A Levels / Scottish Highers, and good grades (i.e. A/B or credit grades in Scotland) in GCSE or standard grade English, Maths and Physics (or Dual / Combined Science). Individual sponsoring companies may have their own requirements. You must also be in good health and must pass a statutory pre-employment medical examination including an eyesight test. There is an HND based officer training scheme for those applicants who do not have A level or equivalent qualifications.
Training combines academic study with hands-on experience at sea, lasting up to around 3 and a half years depending on the route chosen. Academic study takes place at one of the UK’s maritime colleges or universities. State-of-the-art computer-controlled engine room, radar and navigation simulators complement other forms of study to provide the knowledge and skills needed to operate modern merchant ships safely and efficiently and acquire the internationally recognised maritime qualifications and statutory Certificates of Competency.
Individual shipping companies or training groups recruit and sponsor trainees direct. The sponsoring organisation pays all tuition fees as well as a salary or training allowance during periods of experience at sea. They will also arrange and pay for your travel to and from the ships during your sea training.
For more information on a career with a difference visit www.careersatsea.org or phone 0800 085 0973.
| Why not work here: | ||
| The Ship Safe Training Group - find out more Maersk - Careers at Sea - find out more The Royal Fleet Auxiliary - find out more |
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