Merchant Navy

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The Royal Navy isn’t the only way to have a seafaring career – the Merchant Navy could be the alternative you’re looking for, particularly if you want to become an engineer.

Despite sharing some themes with the grey-painted Royal Navy, the Merchant Navy – sometimes referred to as the Merchant Marine – is an entirely civilian outfit. It offers a wealth of opportunities for seafarers with less military mindsets, as working on any of its vessels – which range from container ships and bulk carriers to cruise liners and offshore exploration vessels – requires civilian Merchant Navy qualifications, not military. And, considering such ships contribute a staggering £37 billion to Britain’s gross national product every year, it is now undoubtedly larger than the Royal Navy!

Indeed, thanks to its scale, Merchant Navy mariners can look forward to a career that boasts considerable numbers of opportunities – did you know that the UK fleet has doubled in size in the last eight years and is still growing? There’s seldom been a better time to join up!

ENGINEERING OPPORTUNITIES
The Merchant Navy provides an extremely attractive option for aspiring engineers. According to Phil Waring, General Manger of BP Maritime Services, “The Merchant Navy offers the chance to work with highly sophisticated equipment, aboard extremely clever ships.” In the engine room – “the heart of any ship” – engineering officers are responsible for the operation and maintenance of equipment ranging from the main engines (generally either marine diesel or steam turbine powered) to fuel, refrigeration and mechanical lifting equipment. As a result engineers are hailed as being responsible for “the lifeblood of the ship”. On top of these specific roles, due to the nature of living aboard for considerable lengths of time, engineers – like all other ship-based Merchant Navy employees – are also trained in everything from fist aid to fire-fighting – the kind of skills which can save lives at sea.

As well as a diverse range of responsibilities, marine engineers benefit from an extremely varied working environment – considering the global nature of contemporary trade and that oceans cover some 70% of the planet, travel opportunities are clearly plentiful too!

A clearly defined career structure is an additional bonus. Every 18 months spent at sea qualifies engineers for a chance to pass their next certificate. Not only is each certificate an added, internationally recognised qualification, but it also allows for fairly rapid promotion. As a result the path from trainee, to junior officer, to Third Engineer – all the way up to Chief Engineer – is clearly mapped out.

However, it’s more than the variety of work or the career path available that makes it a tempting option. As Phil Waring points out, marine companies such as BP are willing to sponsor those accepted onto their trainee officer schemes. Indeed, shipping companies are willing to help finance trainees through relevant courses at universities and colleges – generally paying for tuition fees, providing a generous accommodation allowance, and sponsoring board and lodging whilst trainees are at sea. As a result, you’re far less likely to leave college or university burdened by student debt.

It’s this combination of prospects that makes the Merchant Navy a popular destination for engineers. Thanks to the rapid growth of the industry, there are also a large number of companies out there recruiting trainee engineering officers on a regular basis and there’s currently a drive to recruit and train even more, particularly from within the UK – BP currently accepts some 50 trainee officers each year from Britain alone. Smaller companies are also able to provide sponsorship and the Safe Ship Training Group (SSTG) finds trainees for 34 UK-based marine organisations, all of whom offer similar financial and educational incentives.

IS IT FOR YOU?
Despite these prospects, life at sea is not for everyone. According to Phil, those accepted onto BP’s trainee programme require “a bit of energy, the ability to work in a team and need to demonstrate that they’re up for the challenge of presented by working at sea.” As a former marine engineer himself, he’s well aware of both the difficulties of life on the high seas. “You have to remember,” he says, “that three month journeys are standard and, with a maximum of 27 people on board, you can feel a little isolated at times.” Moreover, although contemporary ships can virtually operate unmanned at times, engineers are always on call and so are essentially working a seven-day week while aboard.

Given the confined nature of life on a ship, some engineers have been known to suffer from cabin fever. However, Phil says that those with “genuine hobbies” are often best-suited to the isolation. He thinks candidates who have been in youth organisations (such as the Scouts or Sea Cadets) have been introduced to the discipline required to make them amongst the best candidates for selection as trainees.

ALL AT SEA?
Despite the emphasis on the maritime element of the work, once you’re qualified as an officer at sea, on-shore opportunities are also available for marine engineers and these range from ship management and fleet operations, to ship surveying, lecturing in nautical colleges and marine insurance. And your time at sea will have equipped you, not only with transferable skills, but also with qualifications relevant to engineering sectors on land.

That’s why the Merchant Navy is an excellent base for aspiring engineers. Not only do its companies sponsor your training, but they also offer the option of rapid promotion. Above all, the Merchant Navy allows you to be part of an ever-expanding industry which will therefore present you with the chance to be involved with increasingly sophisticated, state of the art technology. Not only has the Merchant Marine recently replaced aviation as a global money generator, but it has also been equipped with a considerably more modern fleet!

Moreover, while once it was men-of-war, bristling with canons, which helped “Britannia rule the waves” and create its global Empire, the 21st century Merchant Navy is now a lynchpin of peaceful global trade, helping the UK to retain its place amongst the leading nations.

The Merchant Navy
• The Merchant Navy is a term which loosely defines Britain’s fleet of commercial vessels. Whether they’re transporting goods or carrying out offshore exploration, such ships are part of the Merchant Navy.
• There are approximately 50,000 registered merchant ships worldwide, crewed by more than a million mariners.
• In the UK the Merchant Navy is responsible for 95% of imports and exports. The fleet contributes £37 billion a year to the UK economy, making it the fifth largest revenue generator within the UK services industry.
• Careers in the Merchant Marine are divided between those which are based in and around the engine room and those which deal with the rest of the ship – the “deck department” – such as overseeing cargo storage, navigation, and dealing with instructions to and from the vessel’s operating company. The ship’s Captain (known as the Master) is the head of the deck department and is in overall charge of the vessel.
• Merchant Navy ships and their crew were among the unsung heroes of both the First and Second World Wars. Bringing vital supplies in to Britain from America across the North Atlantic at a time when most of Europe was occupied by Nazis Germany, Merchant navy crews ran the gauntlet of lurking German U-boats and bombers. They also played a crucial role in the British evacuation of Dunkirk.

Courses and Qualifications
Those accepted onto marine trainee programmes benefit from sponsorship provided by marine companies, so it’s important to contact them, rather than the colleges, first. Your sponsor will then find you a place on a relevant course.

Before being accepted as an engineering officer, you’ll need to obtain an Engineering Officer of the Watch Certificate of Competency (EOOW), which can be gained by successful completion of any of the following courses:

• Higher National Diploma (HND) – Glasgow College of Nautical Studies runs HND courses, starting in either September or January of each year. These take three years and are divided between land-based learning and postings at sea. Students will spend a minimum of six months aboard ship.

• Professional Diploma – Glasgow College of Nautical Studies offers Professional Diplomas (known as Foundation Degrees in England). The programme alternates between sea and college-based learning and most students spend about 12 months at sea before their final assessment.

• Engineering BSc (Hons) – Strathclyde University runs courses which enable students to achieve a BSC with honours after three years at college with a minimum of six months at sea.

MORE INFO

BP Maritime Services
01624 630 550
www.bp.com/seafaringofficers

Ship Safe Training Group
01634 820 820
www.sstg.org

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