Marine Engineering is a rivet-ing industry to work in. A career full of new challenges, exotic places, opportunities to innovate, and the chance to see designs and plans brought to life under your hands – what’s not to love!

What exactly does Marine Engineering involve?

Marine Engineering is a broad field, with opportunities for all sorts of interests and specialisms. Involving the study of all stages of engineering, from design, development, innovation production and maintenance, a career in the Marine industry can see you working on all sorts of projects, on vessels large and small as well as offshore platforms and equipment.

Why’s it important?

A lot of the world’s commerce still relies on the ocean for transporting goods from one location to another, so the building and maintenance of cargo ships is vital for the economy. Delays and hitches caused by technical error can make huge impacts on businesses, with a chain reaction of effects to every supplier and provider waiting on a shipment of goods. The cruise industry and personal yacht ownership have boomed over the past few years (and show little sign of slowing down) so certain sectors of tourism rely solely on their ships working perfectly.

Choosing a career in Marine Engineering means you’re likely to be in demand by a lot of different sectors and businesses – so you can pick the area that suits you best.

What’s in it for me?

A career in Marine Engineering opens up a world of opportunities. There are so many different types of vessels and specialisms, you can follow your passion to a very specific skill, or mix things up so no two days are the same. With ports and docks all over the world, there’s plenty of opportunities to travel to different corners of the globe – or to travel from one to another as your work on a specific ship.

In terms of career satisfaction, knowing that you’re doing vital work – that keeps the economy moving, and keeps people safe at sea is a fairly fulfilling experience. You’ll also get the satisfaction of seeing new systems – or whole new ships – coming to life as a product of your work! As the world of marine technology continues to innovate and improve – you’ll always be faced with new challenges and opportunities to learn, so you can always be growing and improving.

What skills do I need?

You need to be a good communicator, able to take the lead when necessary – but also know when it’s time to listen and work as a team to solve problems. Having a head for maths, science and problem solving is a big help – as is good time management and planning. Working on a specific ship or in a certain location can mean lots of travel and time away from home, so you’ll need to be prepared.

In terms of formal qualifications, it depends what role you’re looking for – but you’ll likely need a degree or NVQ for more technical roles.

If you’re interested in kick-starting a career in Marine Engineering – get in touch with us today and be part of something amazing

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