Brompton Academy

Sector Outlook

If you’re interested in a sea faring career, several recruitment agencies offer a

good place to start. Careers at Sea

), Viking Recruitment

, Sea Careers

) and Oil Careers

) can help you to find the right opportunity whether you want to

work on deck, in engineering, in hospitality, in a technical role, or as a

gas and oil specialist.

In the Merchant Navy you could be working on board a cruise ship with holidaymakers,

a container ship carrying cargo, a high-tech ferry, a tanker transporting oil, a modern bulk

carrier ferrying grain, or a specialist vessel supporting the offshore oil and gas industry.

To qualify in the UK you will need to undertake specialist training and achieve seafaring

certification. Such training takes place at sea on board shipping company vessels and

at specialist colleges and universities. Many programmes are sponsored so your course

fees, living costs and other allowances are all covered.

Employment trends for navy deck hands are forecasted to plateau over 2015 and 2016

but should rise in following years. Job opportunities for merchant navy deck officers

and engineering specialists, however, are set to rise for the foreseeable future. As well

as using recruitment companies it’s worth contacting shipping companies directly

for information about sponsorship schemes and vacancies. Most companies recruit a

specific number of cadets every year.

Sea careers are not just about employment aboard ship. The oil and gas industry, for

example, employs 450,000 people across the UK. Job opportunities for roustabouts

and roughnecks are predicted to remain steady but will gradually decline in future years.

Similarly, vacancies for offshore drilling workers are likely to be few and far between.

For the majority of sea careers you will need to a good team player, have physical

stamina for the demands of the job role and be willing to live away from home. A range

of hospitality opportunities exist on cruises for those who have technical qualifications

and a few years experience prior to joining. Opportunities exist for beauticians, chefs,

bar staff, reception team, fitness instructors, croupiers, the list goes on. Check out

for ideas.

Sea Careers