Merchant Navy engineering officer

You can start your career as a Merchant Navy officer cadet (engineering or electro-technical) on an industry sponsored course at a maritime college or university.

You can choose a course that suits your needs from a foundation degree, higher national certificate (HNC) or diploma (HND), up to a degree.

Subjects include:

• marine engineering
• marine electrical and electronic engineering

Courses can last up to 3 years and include 8 months of onboard practical training spread over 5 phases. Phases 2 and 4 are spent at sea.

Alongside an academic qualification, you will get a professional qualification known as an unlimited Certificate of Competency . This is internationally recognised and allows you to work on ships anywhere in the world.

You will need to apply directly to a sponsoring company to do an engineer cadetship. Your course costs will be funded by your sponsor and you will receive a bursary payment throughout your training.

Entry requirements for academic courses vary. Sponsoring companies may also have their own entry requirements beyond those needed for the courses themselves.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• 1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma

• 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

More Information

• equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
• student finance for fees and living costs|https://www.gov.uk/student-finance
• university courses and entry requirements|https://www.ucas.com/

You may be able to apply to do a Small Vessel Chief Engineer Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship , with a maritime company involved in the development of this apprenticeship.

This can take around 4 years to complete and applies to vessels up to 3,000 gross tonnage.

With experience and further training, you may be able to work as an engineer on larger ships.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

More Information

• equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
• guide to apprenticeships|https://www.gov.uk/apprenticeships-guide

If you have worked in the Royal Navy, or are an experienced Merchant Navy engineering rating, you may be able to apply directly for jobs.

Details of the conversion routes from Royal Navy to Merchant Navy can be found in the Royal Navy Memorandums of Understanding.

If you do not meet the entry requirements for engineering officer cadet training, you can do a pre-cadetship course at a nautical training college .

This lasts around 1 year and helps prepare you for the application for Merchant Navy deck officer training.

Career Tips

You can learn more about careers at sea through open days and events held by maritime colleges around the country.

Further Information

You can find out more about becoming a Merchant Navy engineering officer from:

• Careers at Sea
• Maritime UK
• Royal Fleet Auxiliary

As a Merchant Navy engineering officer, you'll:

• inspect and test electrical, mechanical and hydraulic equipment
• read engineering diagrams to carry out maintenance
• respond to equipment failure and repair faults
• maintain fuel levels and stocks of spare parts
• monitor control systems for propulsion, communications and navigation
• update record management systems

As you move up through the ranks to a senior engineering post, you'll also supervise a team of engineers.

Your working environment may be cramped, at height, outdoors in all weathers and you may spend nights away from home.

You may need to wear protective clothing and a uniform.