Workforce, Education and Training

The UK has a strong maritime heritage and excellent maritime education and training centres directly supporting the maritime workforce. There are 220,000 people employed in the maritime industry in the UK and the total employment impact on the maritime sector is more than one million jobs.

As a centre for innovation and expertise, the UK offers an intellectually dynamic business landscape with access to not only top-quality employees, but the latest ideas in the sector.

Navigation Controls on a Ship

Top Quality Education

The UK maritime education and training sector provides highly qualified and skilled people. Universities and training centres provide valuable transfer of expertise through research, education and training for not just for the UK, but for countries around the world.

The UK has long been a world class destination for training and education. Maritime training courses provide seafarers with the training and experience they need to achieve certificates of competency, allowing the safe operation, maintenance, and navigation of vessels. 

The UK also provides a range of revalidations and short courses to maintain skills, and to advance specialisations in vessel types or with certain equipment, ensuring every need is catered for. 

UK colleges offering seafarer education include:

Computer Based Training

UK companies in the maritime training space have long been innovators in new technology. Computer based training was introduced in the UK to meet the ever-changing needs of industry. Now, there is significant investment in areas such as virtual reality and performance management of crews. 

Career Development

Career paths and development are important to both maritime professionals and the industry alike, and the UK leads the way in ensuring that qualified mariners can take new opportunities, promotions and roles, and, when it’s time to move ashore, the UK can support that too. 

The Department for Transport (DfT) is committed to delivering the UK government’s People Route Map as part of the Maritime 2050 strategy. Seafarers from all over the world come to study in the UK to get their certificates of competency, but many also return to further studies here too. Universities in the UK offer a vast array of maritime options at degree and post-graduate levels.