So, what's it all about?
As a nation surrounded by water, Britain has a rich maritime history. Today, the marine industry continues to play a key part in our lives. 95% of Britain’s international trade comes and goes by sea, while millions of passengers leave and arrive at our ports every year. Boats play a part in our leisure lives as well – from rowing to sailing.
The fleet of ships that transports goods and people over the seas is called the Merchant Navy. They include massive container ships and oil tankers, cruise ships and car ferries, and specialist craft that might, for example, support offshore oil rigs or lay undersea cables. There’s also the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, which keeps the Royal Navy’s warships supplied with food, fuel and ammunition around the world.
Work on board is broadly divided between two departments. The deck department is in charge of navigating and ‘driving’ the ship, while the engineering department makes sure the engines and all the machinery are running smoothly. Either way, it’s a far cry from your typical office job: you could be at sea for months at a time, although you’ll get plenty of leave when you’re back on shore.
Shipbuilding is an important industry, too. Gone are the days of vast shipyards constructing giant ocean liners, but we still produce plenty of yachts, powerboats, sailing dinghies, jet skis and the like. And there’s a lot of associated equipment and services, such as electronics and engines. In fact, electronics is an expanding area within the marine industry with most boats featuring sophisticated electrical systems to control pumps, satellite navigation, and radar.
In this industry, there’s no set career pattern, so those with a wide range of skills tend to get ahead (making an Apprenticeship a great option). While much of the industry is located in coastal areas, there’s a healthy waterways industry based around the UK’s canals, rivers and lakes. (Industry hotspots include East Anglia, Wales, the South coast, west Scotland, and Thames Valley.) The boating industry is growing: there’s a particular shortage of skilled craftspeople and technicians at the moment.
What qualities do I need?
- be physically fit
- have good practical and technical skills
- be prepared to spend long periods away from home or to work antisocial hours
- be a good team worker
- understand engineering principles
- have IT skills
- communicate well with other people
Sector Skills Councils
For more information about Apprenticeships in the marine industry, visit the following websites:
British Marine Federation
www.britishmarine.co.uk
SEMTA
www.semta.org.uk
Further reading
The Boat Building Academy
www.boatbuildingacademy.com
A Career at Sea
www.careersatsea.org
Click & Sea
www.clicandsea.co.uk
International Shipping Federation (ISF)
www.marisec.org/careers
Marine Society & Sea Cadets
www.ms-sc.org
Click here for a list of employers offering Apprenticeships in this sector.
BP
www.bp.com
One of the world’s largest energy companies providing fuel, energy, petrochemical products...and Apprenticeships.
Maersk
www.maersk.co.uk
As one of the largest shipowners in the UK, Maersk owns vessel types ranging from container vessels to powerful offshore support vessels.
Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA)
www.royalfleetauxiliary.com
A civilian manned fleet that supplies the Royal Navy at sea with the food, fuel, ammunition and spares it needs to maintain operations away from its home ports.
Shell
www.shell.co.uk
This key energy provider offers many Apprenticeship programmes.