ENGINEER OFFICER CASE STUDY
Conversation with Courtney Stanton – Engineer Cadet soon to be Engineer Officer of The Watch
ENGINEER OFFICER CASE STUDY
Conversation with Courtney Stanton – Engineer Cadet soon to be Engineer Officer of The Watch
Courtney was attracted to an engineering career in the Merchant Navy in part influenced by her childhood experiencing first-hand her father’s skills as a classic car engineer.
“My dad is a classic car engineer and I’ve grown-up around his business. For my school A-levels I did maths, physics and design and so by the time I was 16 I had made up my mind what I wanted to do – engineering. I applied to university and had a place at Exeter to do mechanical engineering but I realised that doing an apprenticeship instead because hands-on experience with a mix of academics is highly sought after. By chance I came across advertising from SSTG drawing my attention to merchant navy apprenticeships that I hadn’t been aware of. A three-year cadetship so paid-for on-the-job training and a life of engineering at sea. It looked perfect for me because I knew I didn’t want to do 9 to 5 normal lifestyles – and the thought of travelling the world whilst doing something in engineering appealed to me, and because technology changes so quickly in maritime as well you are constantly adapting.”
“It has really well kitted-out workshops with simulators and the lecturers are amazing too.”
“I chose Fleetwood because of the choices they had and the best reviews. It has really well kitted-out workshops with simulators and the lecturers are amazing too. Most of them have worked in maritime – and one that I had for advanced engineering science has a PhD in particle and medical physics – so they are really top-class. I have 11 people in my class, my cohort as I call them. We stick together, and help each other out to get through the modules because we all signed up for the same outcome so it is certainly a team effort. It’s going really well!”
“I’ve been on five Northstar ships and my first vessel was Grampian Dynamic. On that trip which was located west of Shetland we had quite a bit of heavy weather – so it was certainly an exciting first trip and I got on well with the crew!
“I’m going to be a qualified Engineer Officer of The Watch this summer.”
“I’m going to be a qualified Engineer Officer of The Watch this summer. My Chief Engineer trusts me with the engine room and my judgement on walkarounds, and lets me start the engines, raise the thrusters and balance all of the operations myself. It was a big learning curve and one that I think is really good for cadets.
“With Northstar each ship has a Crew A and a Crew B and they alternate one month on one month off. I’ve been on one ship with the same crew twice so I have worked with seven different sets of crew. When you join a ship you get to know new people very quickly because you are living with them and working with them. It is quite a learning curve to be able to get to know someone, work with them for a week and then leave in three weeks time. So it’s challenging but it’s great to learn these people skills as well. And to work with so many different people from all around the world with varying experiences is amazing. A lot of people I’ve worked with have been on deep sea vessels as well – to hear their experiences is something that I really enjoy.
“In my case with eight months sea time it does prepare you well along with the really good workshop skills package that Fleetwood provides over the two years at college. We did things like a whole unit replacement on a four-stroke diesel engine. We don’t have the time whilst at sea pulling and overhauling main units on engines. So to be able to have these opportunities in college makes a world of difference because it’s not feasible to see everything at sea.”
Courtney has had a good positive experience working and training as a woman in a male dominated industry.
“The overwhelming majority of the people you work with will be extremely accepting and you really have to work hard to prove yourself, but it can be extremely rewarding and you will be well respected for it. And most people are glad to have the profile of engineering sea crews changing to include women and it is nice to see that more women are taking the leap to enter a male dominated industry.”
“My SSTG training officer is only an email away from any queries or anything I needed help with. She is very quick and she has been really helpful.
The career opportunities that are there are extremely beneficial.
“I don’t think people understand how important the shipping industry is. The career opportunities that are there are extremely beneficial. Out of all my friends most of them have gone to university – and they are now thousands of pounds of debt. They are probably facing the fact that it will be a long time before they get a graduate job in something that they really want to work in. So to be able to travel the world whilst getting a degree I think is an opportunity that shouldn’t be overlooked because of the experience you get from doing the job and also in working with so many different people from around the world that have done so many different things is second to none.”
Start Your Career
Our experienced team of recruitment and training officers can provide you with help and guidance on roles and vacancies – and support in applying for sponsorship.
Boston Putford Offshore Safety Ltd
Operates standby support vessels.
Careers at sea with Boston Putford Offshore Safety Ltd.
Based:
Lowestoft, Suffolk.
Profile:
Operates a fleet of Support Vessels in both the North Sea and other areas providing Emergency Response, Supply and Underwater Exploration/Construction services for the offshore oil and gas exploration and production industry.
Ship Types Operated:
Standby
Company website:
www.bostonputford.com
Britannia Aggregates Ltd
Operates aggregate mining vessels extracting sand and gravel.
Train as a deck cadet with Britannia Aggregates Ltd.
Based:
Northfleet, Kent.
Profile:
Operates a Marine Aggregate Dredger engaged in the mining of sand and gravel from the sea bed in licensed areas of the open sea around the UK & the Continent of Europe for delivery to UK and other European ports.
Ship Types Operated:
Aggregate Mining Vessels
Company website:
www.brett.co.uk
CEMEX Marine Ltd
Operates aggregate mining vessels extracting sand and gravel.
CEMEX, an SSTG Member for 10 years.
Based:
Southampton, Hampshire.
Profile:
Operates a fleet of Marine Aggregate Dredgers engaged in the mining of sand and gravel from the sea bed in licensed areas of the open sea around the UK & the Continent of Europe for delivery to UK and other European ports.
Ship Types Operated:
Aggregate Mining Vessels
Company website:
www.cemex.co.uk
CMA-CGM Ltd
Operates aggregate mining vessels extracting sand and gravel.
.
Based:
London, UK.
Profile:
Operates a fleet of container vessels on worldwide routes transporting a wide variety of cargoes.
Ship Types Operated:
Container
Company website:
www.cma-cgm.com
Alcedo Shipping Ltd
Operates bulk carriers worldwide.
Alcedo Shipping Ltd.
Based:
London.
Profile:
Operates a fleet of Bulk Carriers on worldwide routes transporting a wide variety of cargoes.
Ship Types Operated:
Bulk Carriers
Company website:
https://www.alcedoshipping.co.uk
Evergreen Marine (UK) Ltd
Operates container vessels for cargo transportation.
Deck Cadet Training with Evergreen Marine (UK) Ltd.
Based:
London.
Profile:
Operates a fleet of container vessels on worldwide routes transporting a wide variety of cargoes.
Ship Types Operated:
Container
Company website:
www.evergreen-marine.co.uk
Gardline Ltd
Operates survey and research vessels.
Deck and engineer cadet training with Gardline Ltd.
Based:
Great Yarmouth, Norfolk.
Profile:
Best in class provider of Marine Geophysical, Geotechnical and Environmental Surveys.
Ship Types Operated:
Survey
Company website:
www.gardline.com
Global Marine Systems Ltd
Operates surface and sub-sea vessels for installation and maintenance of submarine cables.
Seafarer officer training with Global Marine Systems Ltd.
Based:
Chelmsford, Essex.
Profile:
Global Marine Systems Limited, an independent marine engineering company, has been in business for well over 150 years and continues to be the pre-eminent provider of submarine cable installation and maintenance services in the world. Operating the world's largest fleet of cable ships and sub-sea vehicles, it is a market leader in marine cable installation and maintenance for telecommunications, as well as scientific research, oil, gas, utilities and the renewable energy sector. Global Marine is headquartered in the United Kingdom with regional offices in the United States and Asia.
Ship Types Operated:
Cable Repair
Company website:
www.globalmarine.group
Hanson Aggregates Marine Ltd
Operates aggregate mining vessels extracting sand and gravel.
Hanson Aggregates Marine Ltd, an SSTG Member for 10 years.
Based:
Southampton, Hampshire.
Profile:
Operates a fleet of Marine Aggregate Dredgers engaged in the mining of sand and gravel from the sea bed in licensed areas of the open sea around the UK & the Continent of Europe for delivery to UK and other European ports.
Ship Types Operated:
Aggregate Mining Vessels
Company website:
www.heidelbergcement.com
John H. Whitaker (Holdings) Ltd
Operates oil tankers.
Careers at Sea with John H. Whitaker (Tankers) Ltd.
Based:
Hull, North Humberside.
Profile:
Operates a fleet of oil tankers in the European area transporting fuel and oil products for ships and storage depots.
Ship Types Operated:
Tankers
Company website:
www.whitakertankers.com
Saga Shipping Ltd
Operates cruise ships.
Saga Shipping Ltd, an SSTG Member Company for 15 years.
Based:
Folkestone, Kent.
Profile:
This company operates the following types of vessel. Click on vessel for more information:
Ship Types Operated:
Cruise
Company website:
www.saga.co.uk
Tarmac Marine Ltd
Operates aggregate mining vessels extracting sand and gravel.
Tarmac Marine Ltd, trains Deck and Engineer Cadet with SSTG.
Based:
Chichester, West Sussex.
Profile:
Operates a fleet of Marine Aggregate Dredgers engaged in the mining of sand and gravel from the sea bed in licensed areas of the open sea around the UK & the Continent of Europe for delivery to UK and other European ports.
Ship Types Operated:
Aggregate Mining Vessels
Company website:
www.tarmac.com
North Star Shipping (Aberdeen) Ltd
Operates support vessels for offshore oil and gas exploration.
North Star Shipping (Aberdeen) Ltd, an SSTG Member for 10 years.
Based:
Aberdeen.
Profile:
Operates a fleet of support vessels in both the North Sea and other areas providing emergency response, supply and underwater exploration / construction services for the offshore oil and gas exploration and production industry.
Ship Types Operated:
Standby
Company website:
www.northstarshipping.co.uk
P & O Ferries Ltd
Operates vehicle and passenger ferries.
P & O Ferries Ltd, trains Merchant Navy Seafarers with SSTG.
Based:
Dover, Kent.
Profile:
Operates a fleet of large Roll-on Roll-off Vessels between the UK and ports in Europe transporting passengers, their cars, and freight vehicles.
Ship Types Operated:
Ferries
Company website:
www.poferries.com
Seajacks UK Ltd.
Operates specialist jack-up vessels for offshore wind industry.
Seajacks UK Ltd, trains Merchant Navy seafarers with SSTG.
Based:
Great Yarmouth, UK.
Profile:
Seajacks UK are an East Anglian based offshore installation company committed to building the world’s most advanced and versatile fleet of self-propelled jack-up vessels equipped to service the demands of the offshore wind industry. Our on and offshore crews work in full conjunction with all of our clients, looking to provide the most cost-effective solutions in the safest environments possible.
Seajacks has a fleet of 5 GustoMSC designed vessels, all capable of installing and maintaining offshore wind farms in harsh conditions. Seajacks fleet includes; Seajacks Kraken, Seajacks Leviathan, Seajacks Hydra, Seajacks Zaratan and Seajacks Scylla.
Seajacks utilise DP2 positioning for fast and efficient rig moves, with no need for tugs means there is year round operating ability in the harsh conditions of the Southern North Sea. The DP2 systems make all of the vessels fully capable of driving their four legs into the seabed, providing them with a steady platform and ensuring they remain uncompromised by the conditions of the sea below.
Seajacks Scylla is equipped with a 1500t leg-encircling crane, incorporate useable deck space of up to 5000m², and has 8000t of available variable load. Sailing at speeds of 12 knots or over, Scylla is outfitted with 105m long legs that have the ability to install components in water depths of up to 65m.
Ship Types Operated:
Jack-up
Company website:
www.seajacks.com
CldN RoRo Ltd.
Operates freight vessels for Irish Sea crossings.
CldN RoRo Ltd, trains ETO Officer cadets with SSTG.
Based:
Heysham, Lancashire.
Profile:
As a UK cadet you will complete your sea service whilst under training on the UK based vessels serving between the UK and Ireland. The company has a fleet of modern vessels concentrating on the freight market.
Ship Types Operated:
Ferries
Company website:
www.cldn.com
WISTA International
Based:
Profile:
International networking organisation whose mission is to attract and support women, at the management level.
WISTA are pleased to announce a joint venture initiative with the Maritime Educational Foundation for the sponsorship of up to three candidates to train and qualify as Merchant Navy Officers commencing in September 2024.
The training will involve studying at one of the specialist nautical colleges in the UK, and completing sea service on a range of ship types. The training will follow one of the established programmes and lead to a degree level-based qualification in addition to all the necessary professional training.
The available sponsorship will include all tuition fees paid, the cost of training at sea and a generous allowance paid throughout the training.
Successful candidates will need to support the aims and objectives of WISTA Intentional. Attendance at a small number of WISTA events interspersed throughout the training will be required to promote this initiative to the current membership and assist in the promotion that this opportunity will provide candidates in future years.
Interested candidates should apply here at SSTG in the first instance quoting WISTA as your choice of sponsor.
Company website:
www.wistainternational.com
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