Education

A key strength of the UK's maritime services sector is its strong educational foundation with a highly educated and well qualified workforce. The UK is home to not only some of the worlds best known universities for arts and science, but also to specialist maritime industry related training.

For those seeking a career at sea, UK universities and colleges such as Warsash, Tyneside, Plymouth, Greenwich and Glasgow provide three to four year merchant navy foundation degrees which lead to qualification as a deck or engineering officer. UK trained officers are in high demand around the world and the skills learnt at sea are invaluable for a wide range of shore based businesses, particularly surveying, legal and insurance firms.

Maritime London itself runs a officer cadet training scheme which provides funding for the training of around 20 cadets every year.

The UK also provides in depth maritime business training, with degrees available in London from Cass Business School, London Metropolitan, Greenwich Maritime Institute, Middlesex and outside London at Cardiff, Southampton, Plymouth and Liverpool universities. Graduates from these institutions are held in high regard by the shipping industry and can be found working at senior levels across the sector.

Professional industry specific qualifications are available from the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers, Association of Average Adjusters, RINA and IMAREST.

Professional development across a diverse range of areas is also available from commercial education providers  such as Lloyd's Maritime Academy, Cambridge Academy of Transport, Navigate Training and Maritime Education & Training.