The shipping industry generates a myriad of career opportunities each year, with a recent report suggesting that the employment rate will grow by 12% through 2026. Global trade continues to see a slight increase after the pandemic, and with the merchant navy, emerges as a field with the possibility of experimentation and career development. The need for qualified officers is also increasing globally.

Students can work as naval architects, deck officers, and marine engineers and undertake a variety of tasks such as designing and building ships, loading and unloading cargo, maintaining ship’s mechanical equipment, and researching solutions to overcome various problems.

Qualifications

Students wishing to enter the Merchant Marine field must have passed their Class 12 examinations in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. They will also need to be able to swim or dive and master basic math, physics and marine concepts. Other skills required include design, critical thinking, problem solving, decision making, time management and active learning. As in any other industry, effective written and oral communication skills, knowledge of different cultures and languages ​​as well as team spirit and team coordination are important.

In college, students will learn various concepts in marine engineering, seamanship, and navigation, among other practical skills. Studying nautical science and marine engineering is necessary to understand how the industry works and to tap into the many roles that shipping companies are now looking to hire.

Nautical science deals with naval oceanography, navigation in inland waters and at sea, and various cargo handling procedures throughout the merchant marine fleet, while marine engineering studies construction and maintenance ships and other sailboats.

Many universities also have a ‘ship-in-campus’, which is a fully operational replica of a ship’s engine room that allows students to be trained in a hands-on way, to get a feel for real-world operations on board. .

The shipping industry not only offers a high-paying position, but also allows its officers to travel the world, work with national and multinational companies, and learn to meet complex challenges on the go.

The Author is Principal, Maharashtra Institute of Naval Education & Training, Pune (MANET), MITADT University