Engineering Officer Merchant Navy
Become: Engineering Officer Merchant Navy
You are a self-reliant and tolerant individual who is good at making decisions and is calm under pressure. You enjoy using your initiative and are stimulated by fresh challenge. Your affinity for technology and engineering is complemented by strong initiative and effective communication skills. Does this tick your boxes? If so, a career as a seagoing marine engineer could be right up your street. Study options include Foundation Degree (with an elective option to continue to Honours), Higher National Diploma (HND) or Higher National Certificate (HNC) and are a combination of professional training at one of UKs specialist colleges together with periods of practical experience at sea. This is a career with a difference - travel, good rates of pay (potentially tax free) and both food and accommodation included whenever serving at sea.
Your duties include the correct and efficient operation of shipboard propulsion and machinery and will involve watchkeeping within the ship's machinery spaces and control rooms. This offers early responsibility and good opportunity to progress your career through both experience and additional qualifications.
About: Engineering Officer Merchant Navy
The Merchant Navy is a British term given to all commercial vessels on the UK Flag Register. Your qualification allows you to work worldwide onboard vessels of any Flag State/Register, reflecting the global nature of the shipping industry. You can serve on a broad range of ship types and sizes: huge ocean going container ships and cruise liners; bespoke offshore support vessels working with Oil and Gas platforms or renewable energy installations; ferries; super and charter yachts to name but a few.
Fully funded sponsorship is available from a range of companies which can lead to a free foundation degree.
Case Study
https://www.sstg.org/careers/case-studies/engineer-case-studies/ Engineer Case Studies
"I definitely think this cadetship is a golden ticket and opens many pathways into the marine industry" Caera - Engineer Cadet
I actually didn't originally want to be an Engineer!
I actually didn't originally want to be an Engineer. I had intended to go on to Art School when leaving school. I have been in the youth organisation the Sea Cadets since I was 11. Progressing through the cadets I was able to take part in Marine Engineering courses which sparked my interest in the subject.
When deciding what the next big step was after secondary school I went to the City of Glasgow College open day, and after speaking to cadets who were helping out at the event I was immediately interested and applied straight away with SSTG. As it happens I was actually in my art class when I got the acceptance email from SSTG!
It got easier to fall into a routine on ship.
My first trip to sea was definitely one to remember. In college many of the lecturers had said that it would be unlikely that we would ever experience dry dock whilst sailing as a cadet. However on my first trip I was in dry dock not once, but twice! Both were due to a failure in propulsion. It was a completely hectic experience. There were so many contractors in and out of the engine room I felt lost and overwhelmed, and didn't know exactly what to expect.
As time went on it got easier to fall into a routine on ship with the crew, although joining a new ship was always daunting.
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The crew were great!
Once qualified I was lucky enough to be taken on by my sponsoring company, and was due to join one of their ships four weeks later. The ship I was joining had only completed two trips, one of these being her maiden voyage and the other being her first draft out at the rigs. So this it meant that it was a whole new crew joining, myself included.
I had the opportunity to join a day early and spend the day with the back-to-back engineers, which allowed me to familiarise myself with the whereabouts of the machinery. It also meant that the engineers could explain any teething problems they came across.
Knowing that I had been given the approval to sail and work as a 3rd Engineer made me extremely nervous about starting this next chapter, but luckily as it was straight onto the ship and straight into an induction I didn’t have a chance to stop and think. The crew were great as everyone was in the same boat learning where everything was and getting used to the new ship. What was weird was knowing that I was qualified to sign off any cadet’s TRB if they were to sail a trip with us.
I definitely think this cadetship is a golden ticket.
I definitely think this cadetship is a golden ticket and opens many pathways into the marine industry, and I would and do recommend it to anyone with an interest in marine engineering or the deck side of things.