Maritime UK is the umbrella body for the maritime sector. They work alongside the shipping, ports, services, engineering and leisure marine industries to champion and enable a thriving maritime sector. Here’s our taster of the areas they cover.

Ports & Harbours

Every year, 65 million passengers and 500 million tonnes of cargo, which is around 95 per cent of the UK’s total imports and exports, move through UK ports. To do this, we require everything from deepwater container ports to small harbours, supporting all kinds of vessels: oil and gas tankers, ferry and cruise ships, and every kind of commercial, military and leisure ships. Maritime land-based jobs will therefore include a wide range of skills, including engineering, warehousing, transport, planning, safety, security, and a host of other business areas. New apprenticeships and qualifications cover many of these areas.

Merchant Navy

The Merchant Navy is the collective term for our commercial shipping and includes a variety of vessels from cruise ships to tankers and cargo ships. It is a technologically advanced industry which requires highly trained seafarers working across navigation, engineering, electro-technical and on-board services disciplines. There are a variety of entry routes available to start a career at sea within the Merchant Navy, which includes fully sponsored training programmes and apprenticeships. UK seafarers are sought after all across the world and the range of skills they acquire during their training enables them to thrive in a competitive industry.

Workboats & Tugs

A workboat is a general term for a wide variety of vessels, from tugs and harbour launches to larger multicats and the fast crew transfer vessels. These workboats usually work with small crews of 2-6 people, covering the wide variety of duties required. They may work with a range of contractors on projects like port construction or infrastructure or the offshore energy industries, constructing and operating offshore wind farms. Another key vessel is the Harbour tug, which will assist larger ships to manoeuvre in confined water and berth safely. The work tends to be quite varied allowing crew to quickly gain a wide range of experiences.

Inland waterways

Our Inland Waterways include lakes, lochs, canals, non-tidal rivers, tidal rivers and estuaries, essentially any marine area or waterway not classified as being ‘at sea’. A significant amount of commercial trade and activity takes place on our Inland Waterways, including passenger and freight movement. Again, the skills required vary enormously, from management and administration to on-board and customer services.

Engineering

Engineering is all about solving problems using specialist technical and practical skills. It’s all about maths, science, research, prototypes, design, maintenance and production. Marine engineers are involved in the design, construction, installation, operation, maintenance and repair of everything from the main propulsion engines to auxiliary machinery and systems found in all kinds of ships. Depending on their employer, they may also be responsible for land-based equipment such as cranes and carriers.

Naval Architecture & Boat Design

Naval architects are primarily involved in the design of vessels which move just above, on or under the sea, such as tankers, passenger ferries, warships, drilling platforms, submarines, hovercraft or yachts. Their work includes planning the construction process, the supply of materials, fitting-out and testing. There are also specialised technical problems to be solved in areas such as cargo handling. Some naval architects advise on the repair and maintenance of fleets. Some shipping organisations may also employ a naval architect Make The Future Yours! Issue 3 5 as a ship surveyor, to monitor a vessel throughout its life to ensure that it is safe and seaworthy and meets other statutory rules and regulations.

Shipbuilding & Boatbuilding

Shipbuilding is the business of building large oceangoing vessels usually of steel. Boatbuilding is the term used for the construction of smaller vessels from materials such as wood, steel, aluminium, glass fibre or new composite materials. There are opportunities in ship and boatbuilding at every level. In the UK, there are a small number of shipyards engaged in building large ships, from specialist vessels such as the RSS David Attenborough, or ships for the Royal Navy. There are also a number of smaller shipyards building smaller vessels such as tugs, ferries, fishing and survey/research vessels. Boatbuilders construct boats typically up to about 50 metres in length, both boats for leisure and small commercial craft. Supporting shipbuilding and boatbuilding are also many manufacturers of marine equipment such as sails, engines, electronics and boat fittings.

Superyachts

A superyacht is, by definition, any yacht over 24 metres in length, which is about the length of a tennis court. Owning or chartering one of these multi-million-pound superyachts is the domain of the rich and famous, but behind the glamorous façade is a whole team of workers keeping everything ship-shape. The number of superyachts being built is increasing each year, and there is now a shortage of skilled workers to crew, run and maintain them. Working on a superyacht is certainly not a holiday, but the rewards can be generous and it’s a great way to see the world in style.

Marine Science

Seventy per cent of the Earth’s surface is covered by oceans and seas and we rely on them for important things such as food, energy sources such as wind power, oil and gas, and tourism revenue. As an island nation, we are responsible for the health of a sea area over three times larger than our land area. Marine scientists therefore play a really important role in research, analysis and forecasts in relation to the oceans, their life forms and coastal areas. Marine scientists are usually employed by universities, international organisations, commercial companies, government agencies, not-for-profit organisations and marine research institutes. They might specialise in one particular area, such as coastal management, fisheries biology, mathematical modelling of ocean change, ecosystem dynamics or chemical risk assessment.

Sea Fishing & Aquaculture

Seafood is a multi-billion-pound industry in the UK with the total purchases of seafood in the UK worth £5.84 billion in 2010. To go to sea on a commercial sea fishing vessel, individuals must undergo training in basic sea survival, firefighting and first aid. Landbased aquaculture organisations, such a shellfish farms or fish hatcheries, require a slightly different set of both business and practical skills.

Business Services

As well as frontline staff, like crew members, shipowners need effective shipbrokers, lawyers, bankers and insurers. These business services – many with a global reach – are a vital part of the maritime industry, and a vast number of service companies are based in London and across the UK. For example, London has the highest concentration in the world of solicitors, barristers and arbitrators specialising in maritime issues and dispute resolution. Many people enter these sectors after a career at sea, but many more choose to enter shipping after achieving professional qualifications. It means graduates in law, economics, finance and many other disciplines, who may never have thought about a maritime career, find themselves becoming a crucial part of the industry.

Royal Navy

The Naval Service is a team of over 30,000 men and women from all walks. They are one of the UK armed forces who could be deployed anywhere in the world to do what it takes to protect our nation’s interests, support the enforcement of UN resolutions, and aid the UK’s allies. However, they also play an important role in preventing conflict, supporting international partners around the globe and providing humanitarian assistance in times of crisis.

To read more about maritime careers, go to www.maritimeuk.org/careers

And there is more information about careers in the Royal Navy on their website, www.royalnavy.mod.uk