Top maritime charity Trinity House has announced that it has awarded coveted bursaries worth £17,000 each to six aspiring superyacht captains of the future.
Trinity House HQ in London show: Back row -Captain Nigel Hope, RD RNR, Trinity House. Middle row left to right- Richard Thornton CEO UKSA, Emma Baggett UKSA Cadetship Manager, Don Millar Operations Director Chiltern Maritime. Front row (the six successful cadets, left to right) – Ed Craze and Jason Sivyer from New Milton, Hampshire, Thomas Higgins from London SW1, Virginia Keig from the Isle of Man, Jake Howard from Ipswich and Alex Liddell from Rawtensall, Lancashire
They have signed up for the world renowned Yachting Cadetship by Isle of Wight-based youth charity UKSA (the country’s leading maritime training provider), which is a structured three-year apprenticeship that includes a Foundation Degree in Operational Yacht Science delivered in conjunction with Falmouth Marine School and validated by the University of Plymouth. Training begins in October 2013 and allows students to ‘earn whilst they learn’ and train for a well paid and exciting career on superyachts.
These six places are generously part funded by Trinity House under the Professional Yachtsman’s Bursary Scheme (set up to encourage young people into professional careers at sea in the superyacht sector), which makes them accessible to everyone and an immediately viable option for those considering vocational training over the traditional university career path.
The bursaries will cover the first phase of training (five months) at UKSA’s Cowes campus and amount to a minimum of £17,000 worth of assistance/funding. Both also include a handy living allowance of £200 per month during this time. Once employed as entry level professional deckhands in phase two of the course, students can typically earn €2000 a month tax free (not including tips) working in locations across the Mediterranean, Caribbean and worldwide.
Captain Nigel Hope, Director of Maritime Training for Trinity House, says: “This sponsorship scheme epitomises the aims and traditions of the Corporation, in selecting and supporting men and women to achieve the qualifications required to have a long and successful career at sea. I have personally overseen the selection process for 2013, which has again provided a very high calibre of applicants, and I have no doubt that that the successful six will continue to show the same motivation and determination in their training – as they did during their interviews – to reward the faith put in them and add further prestige to the Professional Yachtsman’s Bursary Scheme.”
UKSA Cadetship Manager, Emma Baggett, adds: “These bursaries are an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and geared towards MCA Officer of the Watch qualification. As part of the course, a dedicated team work with each cadet to educate and prepare them for the industry. Utilising our exclusive crew placement website, alongside our global network of industry contacts, we assist with securing their employment phases – an excellent and proven means of funding the rest of the cadetship – plus there’s the opportunity of earning a very good starting salary at an early age, which you can’t do in most other professions.”
What’s more, UKSA still has two £17,000 bursaries left to allocate on its 2013 intake. These places are generously part funded by another leading maritime charities, Seafarers UK, and applicants have to attend a two day Cadetship Selection. Those who pass, also go to a final interview day in London, but these two final part-funded places are open to candidates until the end of August.
Applicants should be between 18 and 25 years old, have obtained at least 120 UCAS points (or the equivalent in work experience) and have high grade passes in GCSE Maths and English. Candidates must be seeking a genuine alternative to university and also demonstrate a keen desire for a long term career in the superyacht industry – and whilst previous water sports and/or yachting experience is highly desirable, it is not essential.
Email pybs@uksa.org or telephone 01983 203038 for a Yachting Cadetship application pack and details on funding, interview dates and the Foundation Degree. There are some non-funded places still available for October 2013, plus interviews will begin in November for the October 2014 intake.
With the Foundation Degree recently being granted UCAS accreditation as a full-time course, successful 2014 cadets will be able to drawn down on student loans to assist them, as well as taking advantage of all the other associated benefits that full-time students enjoy.
