Marine Engineering Apprentice

The purpose of an apprentice Marine Engineer is to develop skills in all areas of engineering, so you can have a successful careers in the marine industry working as an engineer on marine craft. 

Marine Engineers have a variety of responsibilities; this could include installing, maintaining, fault finding and repairing engines, systems, and equipment on a wide variety of vessels.  There is potential to work on superyachts, larger vessels such as cruise ships and tankers, or smaller vessels such as sail boats. 

Marine Engineers can also be responsible for the internal systems of a ship, such as the electrical and mechanical systems, like refrigeration, propulsion, and steering.  The job has lots of variety, because you could be building a ship, or you could be carrying out general or preventative maintenance or completing diagnostics and repairs.  A Marine Engineer also carries out routine maintenance and ensures the general upkeep of a vessel.  You could survey ships and assess if they were safe to sail.  

Marine Engineers use a variety of tools and machines.  They can potentially use plumbing, carpentry, electrical, welding and engineering skills to service and repair engines.

The role of the apprentice Marine Engineer is varied and interesting and offers many opportunities for your future once qualified.  To be successful in this role, you must be able to quickly get to grips with practical tasks and be prepared to learn.  You must have a flexible attitude and a wiliness to work hard to develop your skills and you must enjoy working as part of a team.  

As an apprentice, you will undertake work-based training with an employer and be paid a wage.  You will also attend college on a weekly basis.  A level 3 apprenticeship takes four years to complete.  It can lead to employment in the marine sector or a further qualifications such as a degree apprenticeship.

This job is a growth area, and there is currently a shortage of Marine Engineers in the UK.

Possible pathways to this job:

Brockenhurst College, New Forest: Level 3 Marine Engineering Apprenticeship Marine – Engineering Apprenticeship Level 3 | Course Brockenhurst College |

City College, Southampton: Level 3 Marine Engineering Apprenticeship Marine Engineering Apprenticeship (southampton-city.ac.uk)

Highbury College, Portsmouth: Level 3 Diploma in Marine Engineering Level 3 Marine Engineering | Highbury AC

INFORMATION ABOUT THE EMPLOYER:

Chichester Harbour Conservancy (CHC)

CHC is unique in its purpose as it occupies two, normally separate, roles. Firstly, as the statutory harbour authority for the busiest recreational sailing harbour in Europe and secondly as custodian of the protected landscape known as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

To carry out our conservation work the organisation receives funding from the county council but much of the work is made possible by charitable donations from a partner charity known as the Chichester Harbour Trust or through grants from other conservation organisations or government schemes.

As a small team on the AONB side of CHC, we are made up of an AONB Manager, an Ecologist, two Rangers, a Community Ranger, two Planners and an Education Department (who mostly run field trips for schools).  However, we certainly would not be able to function as effectively without the volunteers who help with various conservation tasks, events, or education.

The Conservancy offer work experience, please visit https://www.conservancy.co.uk/page/job-vacancies for further details.