Engineer Training

[OatBakes]

I am trying to get into a life of engineering, marine as a starting point, as i have a keen interest in boats and the ocean in general.

I am 25 years old and have a good science/mathematical grounding. i have spent a day looking at the UKSA professional yacht engineer 10 week course but don't think its quite for me. I would definitely prefer a more academic route and don't mind working towards a degree. I am looking into the BTEC marine engineer course which the Falmouth marine college offer, as a starting point.

Can anyone please advise me as to whether this is a good route? Will it open up possible apprenticeship possibilities or maybe full employment?

Has anyone had experience with this route at Falmouth and is there a good possibility it will lead onto an accredited engineering degree?

Any information would be greatly appreciated

 

[Poignard]

I am trying to get into a life of engineering, marine as a starting point, as i have a keen interest in boats and the ocean in general.

I am 25 years old and have a good science/mathematical grounding. i have spent a day looking at the UKSA professional yacht engineer 10 week course but don't think its quite for me. I would definitely prefer a more academic route and don't mind working towards a degree. I am looking into the BTEC marine engineer course which the Falmouth marine college offer, as a starting point.

Can anyone please advise me as to whether this is a good route? Will it open up possible apprenticeship possibilities or maybe full employment?

Has anyone had experience with this route at Falmouth and is there a good possibility it will lead onto an accredited engineering degree?

Any information would be greatly appreciated

I did my marine engineering courses at South Shields Marine & Technical College and the standard of training was very good but, in those days, MN engineers did not have degrees. The courses were aimed at candidates for the DoT certificates. It would be worth getting their prospectus.

Also the girls in South Shields are friendlier than those in Cornwall!

 

[OatBakes]

Ha! good tip on the girls.

I will be looking into south shields as an option, although Falmouth still sits up front due to my better knowledge of the area.

can i ask how long ago you did your training, how long it took and what your doing now because of it?

Thanks again!

 

[Poignard]

Ha! good tip on the girls.

I will be looking into south shields as an option, although Falmouth still sits up front due to my better knowledge of the area.

can i ask how long ago you did your training, how long it took and what your doing now because of it?

Thanks again!

About thirty years ago! I can't remember the details now but I think the classrooom courses lasted several months but I had the necessary practical skills beforehand. After being made redundant from the MN I 'saw the writing on the wall' and got a job working for an agent for German printing machinery.

Have you seen this website?

http://www.careersatsea.org/

I would never have fancied working on a superyacht because I suspect (perhaps wrongly) that you would be just another servant, like the chauffeur or the butler.

 

[rafiki_]

I would recommend getting a Mechanical Engineering degree, which will give you a thorough allround engineering capability. This will enable you to cover a number of engineering tasks, keeping your options open. It will also be a significant strp towards becoming a Chartered Engineer, which can be very valuable, especially overseas.

 

[Tranona]

Google Marine engineering courses and you will find plenty of leads to different types of courses including degree level ones.

 

[volvopaul]

This line of work has never done me any harm, go for it if you like boats you cant go wrong, but I will tell you now you have to be slim and bodily able to squeeze in places!!

 

[jimmy_the_builder]

What do you mean by marine engineering - ie do you want to end up as a freelance boat mender? Or work for a manufacturer? Or be an engineer on a large private yacht? I think you had some good answers already for the first choice. For the second choice my guess is that an engineering degree would be the necessary starting point. For the third, you should go and talk to the crew agencies and see what they need in terms of quals and experience.

Cheers
Jimmy

 

[Latestarter1]

I did my marine engineering courses at South Shields Marine & Technical College and the standard of training was very good but, in those days, MN engineers did not have degrees. The courses were aimed at candidates for the DoT certificates. It would be worth getting their prospectus.

Also the girls in South Shields are friendlier than those in Cornwall!

I concur wholeheartedly with the second paragraph!

Just to give age away certificates were BoT not DoT in my day.

I cannot get my head around this degree stuff as well as training courses with no previous practical experience such as apprenticeship all seems a little ass backwards.

Take a shore side engineering degree before gaining any sea time/experience component appears utterly bonkers. All to sit around on a superyacht overseeing operation of a pair of large high speed diesel engines, which are on maintenance contract over which you have no control.

In my day the only BoT certificate which equated to degree level was Extra Master..

As to Chartered Engineer, qualifies you to sign a passport applications as far I see it.

 

[safenafe]

You could do what i did
BENG yacht and powercraft design or BSC yacht manufacturing and surveying.
Both at Southampton Solent university.
Not the greatest uni in the world but the courses are very reputable with the industry, in fact 2/3rds on my course were from Europe.
The course was very academic with a lot of maths a physics, very interesting though, and I doubt you’d have any problem job wise afterwards.
Or if you fancy proper ships there’s always ship science at Southampton Uni.

 

[Skylark]

Oops.....just popped over from the other side because the title caught my eye.

Very interesting thread (apart from the ever-so-slightly-insulting thought of a "UKSA professional yacht engineer 10 week course").

It's nice to read that a good career can be had with decent prospects in these difficult times.

As to attaining Chartered Engineer status, I've had it since 1982 and it has very significantly enhanced my earning power and, even more importantly, my job satisfaction as the entry ticket to my career in automotive engineering.

 

[penfold]

Very interesting thread (apart from the ever-so-slightly-insulting thought of a "UKSA professional yacht engineer 10 week course").

There's a reason a EOOW ticket takes 3 years to obtain(via the MCA approved fast track of portfolio and college courses); the idea you can cover the same ground in 10 weeks is farcical. There are other paths to the same thing; Graduate conversion(as I did) if you have a relevant degree, or the traditional path of seatime and passing the exam schedule in your own time. Alternatively there are now several degree courses which include seatime and obtaining a watchkeeper's ticket.

Whatever you may be after 10 weeks it's not an engineer, although it may be a valid way of benchmarking ability for the purposes of getting work in that sector. Unless you wish to remain on superyachts your whole career, an EOOW(or 2nds or chiefs) ticket is rather more widely recognised and valued.

What does the original poster wish to do? Do you want to go to sea on ships(and maintain them), build ships or design them?

 

[OatBakes]

Hello all

Thank you for all of the constructive comments.

to answer the last question, I want to be shore-based but with opportunities for work away. The thought of one day being a chartered engineer is a dream, if a long long way from now. Designing and building is what im heading for in the short term.

i definitely dont want to be a servant to a super yacht! no offence to anyone who is but i have spent a good 6 years serving the rich in the alps and would like more than anything to have both feet nearer home for a while and invest more in my education and seeing family.

If i complete an 'access' type course in marine engineering, at an accredited college, i will then be at a cross roads i imagine? ie. choosing to go the apprenticeship route or heading towards a degree which could lead to masters. I feel a lot of people are split between experience and academia. can anyone enlighten me as to my possible future down each road and have i forgotten another option?

but thank you all so much for your knowledge.

James

 

[jollyroger47]

Training in Engineering

You could look at a merchant navy cadetship. My son has just completed his with BP Shipping and was paid while he did his foundation degree in engineering. It is a mix of acedemic and practical training, including, obviously time at sea.
Look at http://www.mntb.org.uk/careers_information-3.aspx

 

[Tranona]

Have a look at the BEng Marine Technology at Plymouth. Think you will find that most degrees of this type have a big chunk of practical work and often include a work placement year. They also carry Professional recognition and can lead to Chartered Engineer.

You may well find there are also 2 year Foundation Degrees which have a route to an Honours degree, but if you are committed and meet the entry requirements it is probably better to go straight into an Honours degree course.