Life At Sea
Claire - Engineer Cadet
Name: Claire
Company: Clyde Marine Training /Gulf Offshore N.S. Ltd
College: City of Glasgow College
Programme Phase: HNC Marine Engineering Phase 4
What made you join?
Whilst in school attending various careers events nothing was jumping out at me to join and when I heard about Clyde Marine Training I knew this was the career for me. I wanted a career with lots of opportunities that I could chose for myself when it best suited me. Engineering is the ideal job as I see myself as a very “hands on” person and learning about all kinds of machinery and brand new technology really appealed to me. Knowing I could help as part of a strong working team to keep a vessel working efficiently and keep everyone and everything on it safe made me really want to be part of that.
Working at sea I am also able to see parts of the world that I simply would not be able to without this fantastic career opportunity.
College life:
Whilst at college I learned all of the basic principles of engineering, which then helped me fully understand the job when I went to sea for my first time. All the lecturers in the college are well-experienced engineers and have been in the industry for many years, therefore we are all learning from the best. All the subjects are varied so every day is different and they all challenge you in different ways. My favourite part of my time in college was the practical experience I gained in the college’s workshop. There I learned how to carry out maintenance on main engines and other auxiliary equipment, weld, fabrication work and most of all I learned how to work safely in a working environment.
At Sea:
Being at sea is such an amazing experience and it gave me the chance to see how the shipping industry really works. After learning about the machinery in college it was good to finally see it working. I learned so much during my time at sea, not just about the ship and the industry but I also learned a little about different cultures as I was working with people from all over the world.
Being away from home for long periods of time scared me slightly before going away as I was still only quite young, but it gave me a confidence boost when I could see how well I was doing it gave me a confidence boost. I came home feeling very mature and I knew that I had found the right career for me.
Working in such a male dominated environment can seem intimidating however all of the crew I sailed with were very polite and made me feel just as much a part of the team as anyone else.
Career aspirations:
Once I am qualified I plan to continue my career at sea and work my way up to the top and want to learn as much as I can along the way. I would like to get higher up in my career as I think it is a fantastic opportunity and allows me to continue to carry on working at sea. I have a lot of respect for the people who have taught me so far and got me to where I am now.