Engineering officers are responsible for the running and maintenance of the ship's engine room and all its ever more complex equipment and systems: main engine, boilers, pumps, fuel systems, electrical generating and distribution equipment, refrigeration and air conditioning plant, lifts, cranes - in fact all the mechanical and electrical equipment throughout the ship.

Modern ships have a very high degree of electronic control and automation. Often they are designed so that the engine room operates without the need for continuous manning but, as an Engineer Officer, you must be prepared to turn out at a moment's notice, day or night, should the need arise.

If you are following the 3-year HND route, the first phase of your training will comprise of a six-month induction course at a residential Nautical College. Here you will be introduced to your training programme and follow a syllabus covering basic engineering skills, shipboard familiarisation, fire-fighting, personal survival and safety.

The last six weeks of this phase will be almost entirely devoted to workshop training. Lectures will cover the underpinning knowledge which will allow you to make the best of your opportunities to gain practical competence when you go to sea. You will be issued with a portfolio detailing and recording the tasks which you are required to complete both in college and at sea throughout your cadetship.

During your first seagoing phase you will start to put into practice and become competent in those aspects of the job that you learned about, in theory, at college; together with many other competencies which can only be learned at sea. The remainder of your training consists of a number of phases, alternating between college and sea.

At sea you will work aboard one of a diverse range of vessels - such as cruise ships, tankers, bulk carriers, container ships, research ships, roll-on/roll-off ferries, dredgers or lighthouse support vessels ships - operated by a number of different, well respected companies; thereby providing you with extensive practical experience.

During each college phase your progress is assessed and you will be given the underpinning knowledge to enable you to tackle the more complex tasks which await you in the next seagoing phase. At each phase you will learn to take more responsibility whilst gaining greater competence as a deck officer.

If you are following the Foundation Degree route, the first phase at college is 16 weeks and overall the course has 5 phases in total. The duration of the course is approximately three years.

The training schedule below is designed to give you a good indication of time spent at college and at sea. This does vary depending on the route chosen and college attended.

Qualifications Gained

Professional: Officer of the Watch, Deck

Academic: HND or Foundation Degree in Marine Engineering

A little over three years after commencing your training, you will be ready to take up an appointment as an engineering watchkeeping officer in an ocean-going ship. You will continue to expand your knowledge, experience and competence, eventually qualifying as Second Engineer and then Chief Engineer.

Ranking Structure

Engineer Cadet - Fourth Engineer - Third Engineer - Second Engineer - Chief Engineer

Training Schedule

Engine HND Programme:

Engine Foundation Degree Programme:

* Option to continue on to full Honours Degree