Cadet Training Programmes
- Undertake your academic training in Shetland at SSNS
- Get paid while you train
- Gain recognised academic and professional qualifications
- Excellent career prospects afloat and ashore
- Structured career path to Master or Chief Engineer
- A springboard for further study to degree level
Employment and Sponsorship
All cadets are employed or sponsored directly by a shipping company, ship manager, or indirectly by other organisations acting on their behalf. These organisations provide the sea service and support throughout the programme.
For the complete duration of the programme, the employing or sponsoring organisation pays the Cadets a salary or training allowance, college fees and other associated costs, although specific arrangements may vary between employing and sponsoring organisations.
Qualifications
To serve as an officer on a Merchant Vessel an appropriate Certificate of Competency qualification must be held. This is issued by the UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency in accordance with national and international requirements and all aspiring officers must attain it.
A key route to attaining this certificate is to follow a cadet training programme based on SQA Higher National Diplomas and Vocational Qualifications. These programmes must be approved by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency and the Merchant Navy Training Board (MNTB) and:-
- are of approximately 3 years duration
- comprise alternating periods at sea and college
- deck officer cadets will attain a SQA HND in Nautical Science, SVQ Levels Two and Three awards in Marine Vessel Operations, and a DOOW Unlimited Certificate of Competency
- engineer officer cadets will attain a SQA HND in Mechanical Engineering, SVQ Level Three award in Marine Engineering Operations, and an EOOW Unlimited Certificate of Competency
- the HND's also include the academic components of the Chief Mate/Master and Second/Chief Engineer certificates of competency as appropriate, although to attain these senior certificates further studies and exams are required after sea service as a junior officer
- there are also additional programmes available in the UK to achieve a degree later in your career after attaining a Master or Chief Engineer certificate of competency
Cadet Programme Schedule
Cadet Programme Schedule
Deck Cadet
| Phase |
Period |
Content |
|
1 College
|
Sep Yr1 - Nov Yr1
|
Induction, basic safety training, academic ramp
|
|
2 Sea
|
Dec Yr1 - Mar Yr1
|
Practical training, SVQ Level 2 portfolio
|
|
3 College
|
Apr Yr1 - Jul Yr1
|
SVQ Level 2 assessment, SVQ Level 3 underpinning
knowledge, HND Part 1
|
|
4 Sea
|
Aug Yr2 - Dec Yr2
|
Practical training, SVQ Level 3 portfolio
|
|
5 College
|
Jan Yr2 - May Yr2
|
Level 3 underpinning knowledge, specialist courses
HND part 1 units
|
|
6 Sea
|
Jun Yr2 - Mar Yr3
|
Practical training, Level 3 portfolio
|
|
7 College
|
Apr Yr3 - Nov Yr3
|
Level 3 assessment, advanced safety training, MCA OOw
oral exam, Level 4 UPK, HND Part 2
|
Engineer cadet
|
Phase
|
Period
|
Content
|
|
1 College
|
Sep Yr1 - Mar Yr1
|
Induction, basic safety training, workshop skills, Level 3 UPK,
academic ramp, HND units
|
|
2 Sea
|
Apr Yr1 - Aug Yr1
|
Practical training, Level 3 portfolio
|
|
3 College
|
Sep Yr2 - Jul Yr2
|
Workshop skills, HND units
|
|
4 Sea
|
Aug Yr3 - Mar Yr3
|
Practical training, Level 3 portfolio
|
|
5 College
|
Apr Yr2 - Jul Yr3
|
Level 3 assessment, advanced safety training, MCA OOW oral
exam Level 4 UPK, HND units
|
Entry Requirements and Recruitment
The preferred entry level is for candidates who hold Highers/'A' Levels or other higher qualifications, and also appropriate qualifications in Mathematics, Science and English at either Standard/GCSE or Higher/'A' levels. Depending on the subjects of any higher qualifications held the academic ramp may be reduced.
For candidates not holding Highers/'A' Levels the minimum entry requirements are 4 Standard Grade's/GCSE's at Levels 1-3/A-C, to include Mathematics, Physics (or equivalent Science subject(s)) and English (or subject using English) Candidates entering at this level will be required to undertake an academic ramp within the programme to prepare them for HND studies.
New entrant seafarers must pass a Maritime & Coastguard Agency medical examination which includes vision standards for both deck and engineer personnel. Medical fitness must be maintained for continued service at sea, and periodic medical examinations must be undertaken.
NAFC welcomes applications for the programmes direct to the College, which will then assist the applicants to identify an employing or sponsoring organisation, although this cannot be guaranteed. Obtaining such employment or sponsorship is a prerequisite to acceptance on to the programmes.
Alternatively, cadets may be recruited by shipping companies/ship managers, or other organisations, and placed on the programmes at SSNS.
Leaflets about the programmes are available in PDF format: