So its a sailors life for you. Congratulations on your decision, but now what? Where do you start looking? What are your options?
The Merchant Navy Training Board (MNTB) is good place to start. Here you will find everything about careers at sea, how to apply, and even have a list of current sponsoring companies. Theres a lot about framework and lengthy documents that you could pretend to read, but what is it that you really need to know?
Drawing from my experience there are three paths you can choose (for deck):
1. Deck rating apprenticeship.
2.HND/HNC deck Officer training.
3. Foundation degree Officer training.
The minimum age you can apply is 16, meaning that you could be a fully qualified deck officer by your 19th birthday. (pretty cool right?)
Deck rating path is as follows:
Deck Rating - Ordinary Seamen - Able Seamen - Bosun - Third/Second Officer - Chief Officer - Master (Captain)
HND/HNC path:
Deck Cadet (3 years training) - Third/Second Officer (OOW) - Chief Officer - Master
Foundation degree path:
Deck Cadet (3 years) - Third/Second Officer (OOW) - Chief Officer - Master
With the foundation degree route, you study for your Officer of the Watch (OOW) and do your foundation degree at the same time. There is also the possibility to study for extra year and upgrade the foundation degree to a full Bachelors. The degree you earn is a degree in Navigation and Maritime Science, which can lead to various opportunities ashore, as well as being able to command a ship!
Which ever path you choose, first thing is first. You have to apply and get some interviews. What companies are looking for will be in the next blog, but to finish off, you have to shop around a a bit. Do a bit of research into what kind of ships you would like to work on. If you know what you want then primarily apply to those sorts of companies. If you don't know, then perhaps a charity funded training company may appeal better. Although in the end you may just have to choose the one that gives you a offer, but bare in mind that if you apply for container company, you will be on container ships throughout your cadetship, which could be a bit of a downer if half way through your first contact you suddenly realise...."actually...I don't like containerships." You would just have to stick with it until you graduate and then you can choose which sector of the industry you'd like to be in. This is where the determination comes in and the ability to see the bigger picture.
Until next time.
Which ever path you choose, first thing is first. You have to apply and get some interviews. What companies are looking for will be in the next blog, but to finish off, you have to shop around a a bit. Do a bit of research into what kind of ships you would like to work on. If you know what you want then primarily apply to those sorts of companies. If you don't know, then perhaps a charity funded training company may appeal better. Although in the end you may just have to choose the one that gives you a offer, but bare in mind that if you apply for container company, you will be on container ships throughout your cadetship, which could be a bit of a downer if half way through your first contact you suddenly realise...."actually...I don't like containerships." You would just have to stick with it until you graduate and then you can choose which sector of the industry you'd like to be in. This is where the determination comes in and the ability to see the bigger picture.
Until next time.
Nice to see a familiar name publishing a blog. I really should post again.
ReplyDelete