Humber Maritime College

SQA Qualifications support Merchant Navy Cadetships

Part of the Grimsby Institute, Humber Maritime College is based on the River Humber in North East Lincolnshire and has a rich history of delivering maritime education and training. The college aims to be recognised as a leading maritime college which brings new ideas and innovation to the training of its engineering and navigation cadets.

The nautical college offers a range of accredited and non-accredited maritime courses such as Merchant Navy Cadetships, MCA-approved HELM O and HELM M, Dynamic Positioning and a variety of bespoke simulation training. The college caters to a wide variety of learners from those looking to start a career in the sector to experienced individuals looking to progress in their career.

SQA Advanced Certificates form part of both the Engineering and Navigation Cadet Programmes which are fast becoming a popular route into the sector. The cadetships are fully sponsored by employers meaning individuals will gain a higher education qualification without the worry of student fees. Cadets also earn throughout their training.

SQA Advanced Qualifications

SQA Advanced Qualifications are available at Certificate and Diploma level. They have been developed in partnership with colleges, universities and industry, meeting the education requirements of academics and the skills needs of employers. SQA Advanced Diplomas can also provide a pathway to a degree through SQA’s Diploma to Degree Programme.

The SQA Advanced Certificates in Marine Engineering and Nautical Science are fundamental to the courses, providing learners with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills such as information technology, communication, and problem solving that an employer would expect them to have.

Cadet experience

Joshua Stanley is completing the Advanced Certificate in Marine Engineering and found the course appealing as learners get paid while they study;

‘The course provides a great environment to learn in and the teachers were very supportive – I really enjoyed the mix of classroom and practical, hands-on experience.’

Chloe Lamming is completing the Advanced Certificate in Nautical Science and is looking forward to being offshore in the future;

‘Since leaving school, I’ve always had an interest in travel and ships – I love hearing about the teachers own personal experiences.’

Ray Dudfield, Engineering Instructor added:

‘Having a modular learning system from SQA means we can focus on each task and ensure the cadets are competent in each area and use their individual strengths to support the group just like a vessel crew would do.’

Growth in the sector

SQA Regional Manager, Sarah Stevenson told us:

‘It is fantastic to be working closely with Humber Maritime College who are delivering Engineering and Navigation Cadetships. The facilities and simulators provide a fantastic learning environment. It’s an exciting time to be considering a career within the maritime industry as global maritime trade levels are expected to treble by 2050.  The sector already supports more than 220,000 jobs across the country and cadetships are addressing some of the skills shortages in the industry.'

Find out more about SQA Advanced Qualifications.