The commercial marine industry is an attractive, multifaceted sector which needs to maximise the promotion of its career opportunities to attract trainees and graduates.  

The dedicated Careers Fair at Seawork 2023 brought young people aged between 14 and 19 to see first-hand what a job in the commercial marine industry could look like and to gain some valuable insight on the opportunities available. 

Over 160 students from a mix of secondary schools and further education colleges from South Essex to the New Forest attended two dedicated Careers events, taking place in Seawork’s Conference Rooms. 

“Commercial Marine has Talent” - a live showcase of young people just starting out in their careers in the marine industry made upbeat presentations to the student audience and engaged in a lively Q & A session. The students then attended the Careers Fair, with 17 exhibitors from a variety of sectors in the commercial marine industry, followed by a tour of Seawork, speaking to exhibitors, visiting the pontoons, going onboard vessels and seeing the wide range and variety of jobs available in the commercial marine industry.

Louise Bateman, Progression Mentor, St Vincent College, Gosport declared, “Great day out – amazing, inspirational talks from students with successful apprenticeship’s. The Lego stand was a big hit! One student that attended is now seeking careers support to look at marine engineering apprenticeships.”

“I thought the day would drag but it flew by really quickly.  I found the speakers at the beginning really interesting and the exhibitors were very knowledgeable about their roles.  Thank you for an informative day.” Student, Year 9, Henry Cort Community College, Fareham.

Seawork 2023 also launched a new Careers Trail,  sponsored by A-Plan Marine Insurance, using QR Codes with exhibitors on the trail offering advice, information, literature and giveaways

BMEEA Apprentices competition
Twenty-four marine business Level 3 apprentices in 12 teams, from Sunseeker, the RNLI, and Cobra Ribs, took part in the BMEEA (British Marine Electrical and Electronics Association) Apprentices Competition, held as a part of Seawork’s Training and Careers Day.

Apprentices competed in real time to design the controls for a motor, including necessary calculations and diagrams, and wire up a system using the test rigs provided. Clear marking, neatness, adherence to their wiring diagram and, of course, the fact that it worked were all important factors when it came to the judging, expertly carried out by Ian Lewis of Weidmuller and Dan Cox of Energy Solutions.

In addition to the sparkling BMEEA Apprentices Competition winners’ trophy, the winning team of Elena and Louis, both apprentices at Sunseeker, each received a backpack of electrical tools courtesy of CK Tools and a crimping tool set from Weidmuller. Runners-up were Oakley and Sydney, also Sunseeker apprentices, who each received a crimping tool set from Weidmuller.

A great competition with a fantastic group of enthusiastic and committed young people,. These apprentices will go on to be the highly qualified marine electrical engineers of the very near future and a vital injection of skills into the vibrant and diverse marine industry.

Seawork 2024
Next year will see the landmark 25th anniversary edition of Seawork which takes place 11-13 June with the Careers Day on Thursday 13 June.

To enquire about next years event, please contact: careers@seawork.com.