Water. The planet’s covered in it. Which means that there’s plenty for marine engineers to be getting on with...
Since we first paddled out into the breakers in our little coracles, wondering what else was out there and experiencing seasickness for the first time, going to sea has been important to our little island. These days we have one of the world’s greatest Navies, over 90% of our imports come from the sea, and the marine industry employs over 250,000 people with an annual turnover of £37 billion (according to Sea Vision UK, a national group made up of organisations from throughout the marine industry – so they should know). There’s definitely more to a career at sea than banging on about bottles of rum and climbing masts, then…
The marine industry
To give you an idea, here’s how the sector breaks down:
Royal Navy. You’ll probably know about this lot. They patrol the world’s oceans in a variety of roles, and engineers are required to keep their ships, submarines, planes and helicopters operational at all times. (You can read about a little corner of their waterworld on p66, there are even pics of etc. looking drenched.)
Merchant Navy. This is the term for the UK’s commercial shipping industry, and covers areas like shipbuilding, trade (cargo ships), cruise liners, ferries, fishing…the business end of the boating business, if you like.
Science, exploration and natural resources. We know more about the moon than we do about the deep places of the world, and there’s always more work to be done, especially in these uncertain days of changing climates, shifting weather patterns and changes to shipping routes as a result. Engineers are needed on anything that works at sea, from survey vessels and deep sea subs, to systems on oil rigs, gas platforms and so on.
Leisure and sport. At the other end of the scale is the business of pleasure, namely building things like the enormous superyachts owned by the hilariously wealthy, maintaining their engines, and keeping things glamorous. And then there’s sport, of course – powerboat racing (130mph across the waves, anyone? www.f1boat.com) needs engineers just as much as Ellen Macarthur needs them to help design her racing catamarans.
The jobs
Marine engineers’ roles and responsibilities will vary hugely depending on the area they work in, and could include doing some of these things…
Maintaining the engines. This tends to mean more than cranking a handle and hitting them with a spanner, especially when you’re talking about the vast machines needed to power cruise liners or cargo ships through the oceans. Marine engineers have specialist knowledge and training in ocean going technology, and the skills to keep it going – whether it’s the outboard motors of a speedboat or the combined diesel and gas turbines of the Queen Mary 2, the largest ocean liner on Earth.
Software engineering. As well as the moving parts, there’s the technical side, from design to building and maintaining the control systems needed to keep vessels under control, sailing in the right direction and so on. No good having a floating palace that you can’t steer, right?
Keeping the people going. As an engineer you’ll be part of the ship’s crew, and whether you’re an officer in the Royal Navy or Merchant Navy, or a chief engineer on a race team, you could have a team of people looking to you to make decisions, provide technical advice, and get the job done.
Conditions and cash
An important consideration when you’re thinking about marine engineering is the working environment. On the up side, working on ships means you get to travel, meet new people, see amazing sights and have a challenging, important role – a lot of people thrive on the team environment, too; on the down side, you could be away from home a lot of the time, the sea is a dangerous place sometimes, and you could find yourself working long hours in difficult conditions.
Mind you, estimated salaries range from £20,000 to over £40,000, so the potential for a decent wage is out there, too. Now you just need to know how to get there…
Qualifications and training
Again, there are plenty of qualifications fish in the employment sea (or something).
Vocational qualifications like NVQs and HNDs are available, with the option to go on to further and higher education for further study.
Apprenticeships are another option – you’ll study for an NVQ in marine engineering, plus a technical certificate to give you key skills (in things like communication and IT); at the same time, you’ll be trained on the job by an employer, so you’ll get the right skills for the workplace and get paid at the same time.
Engineering degrees give you a couple of options, too: incorporated engineers have a BEng degree in a marine engineering related subject, plus a professional review once they graduate; chartered engineers either take a longer, accredited MEng course, or upgrade their BEng degree with further study and a professional review. There’s also the option of a Foundation Degree, combining vocational and academic learning with the option to upgrade to a full degree with additional study.
Essential organisations
British Marine Federation (www.britishmarine.co.uk) – the trade association for the UK Marine Leisure industry
Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (www.imarest.org/careers) – lots of info on careers and qualifications, plus jobseeking advice and career guidance.
Merchant Navy Training Board (www.gotosea.org) – full info on accredited Foundation Degree courses, leading to becoming an officer with the Merchant Navy.
Royal Navy (www.royalnavy.mod.uk/careers) – the Navy offers a range of engineering careers.
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