- Black History Month on BBC 1Xtra: Seani B
- The life of Nelson Mandela
- African London
- Claudia Jones
- Joe Clough The first Black Bus Driver
- Devotional Series
- The Black Victorians
- The first Black Britons: By Sukhdev Sandhu
- Filling in the blank pages
- Manchester Explores Myths About Race
- Generating Genius: Tony Selley
- For whom the bells toll
- Pioneers and Firsts in Science
- Our Living Black Heroes: Diane Abbott
- Oxford Scholars Remembered
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CAREERS AT SEAWHAT IS A CAREER AT SEA? Professional seafarers work worldwide on all types of commercial ships, including:
Seafarers will either be members of the management level on board – these are the officers, or will be part of the support staff – known as ratings. There are three main departments on board ship, the navigation, engineering and hospitality departments. WHAT IS THE WORK ONBOARD? The navigation - or deck department - as it is more commonly known, looks after all the navigation, ship driving and handling, communications, cargo and overall management of the ship and people on board. The engineering department is involved in operating and maintaining all the mechanical, electrical/electronic and propulsion systems and equipment throughout the ship. The hotel services/hospitality department (which exists on cruise ships, passenger ferries and superyachts) provides the whole range of catering and hospitality support services on board. This includes receptionists (often known as pursers), restaurant and bar staff, housekeepers, cruise directors, entertainers, hairdressers, beauticians, photographers, retail and childcare staff. All of the above is known as the Merchant Navy. In addition, shore based opportunities in shipping companies and ship management companies exist, to support the shipping operation at sea. WHAT ARE THE ENTRY ROUTES? To become an officer or a rating, you will need to undertake various education and training courses to gain industry certification, which will also provide relevant qualifications. The opportunities for ratings are very limited on most ship types, apart from passenger ships (mostly in the hotel services/hospitality departments) and support vessels, however, there are considerable opportunities for officer trainees in the navigation and engineering departments (currently around 850 places per year). For officer trainees, there are entry routes at all levels, from GCSE/Standard grade, to A level/Highers and degree entry. WHAT COURSES ARE AVAILABLE FOR OFFICER TRAINEES? You can study for qualifications in either of the following subject areas: • Marine Operations for Navigation (Deck) Officer All the courses include education and training to provide your professional seafaring certification, which qualifies you as an officer to work on board any type of commercial ship, anywhere in the world. You will also achieve a degree or HNC/HND qualification. Further training and experience will enable you to achieve the highest levels on board as Captain or Chief Engineer. WHAT WILL THE COURSES INVOLVE? The courses for officer trainees include study at a nautical college or university interspersed with sea-going training on board various ships, which could be trading anywhere in the world. Courses are around three years, although some Honours degree courses will be four years. Most courses are fully paid for by a shipping company through sponsorship. WHERE CAN I STUDY? You will study at one of the speciailsed colleges/universities offering Merchant Navy courses: They are listed on the Careers at Sea website www.careersatsea.org HOW DO I GET FUNDING? Sponsorship for the courses is available from shipping companies and training organisations. Your course fees will be paid, along with a salary or training Candidates must be at least 16 years old and must pass a pre-employment medical and eyesight test. WHAT COURSES ARE AVAILABLE FOR RATINGS? Ratings need to undertake various safety training courses before they can work on board, and a period of training whilst working at sea will provide relevant rating certification. You will need to apply direct to shipping companies for vacancies. Some companies that employ ratings are listed on the Careers at Sea website at http://www.careersatsea.org/career_companies.asp and also Chamber of Shipping members may have vacancies - see http://www.british-shipping.org/About%20the%20Chamber/Members%20List/. WHAT ARE THE CAREER PROSPECTS? Career prospects in the shipping industry are very good. British seafarers are highly regarded throughout the world. Some seafarers spend their whole career at sea and many advance their career with shipping companies ashore or in a host of other marine industries where their knowledge and experience are in great demand. The Sea Vision website has a range of information about careers opportunities in the wider maritime sector, see http://www.seavisionuk.org/publications.cfm FURTHER INFO |
© 2008 BHM |
