Ocean Careers 2011: The Next Generation

In conjunction with Ocean Business 2011, several other events are taking place. One is Ocean Careers, a three-day event offering, according to the official programme, 'career advice within the marine science, ocean technology and offshore industries'. The three days each consist of a morning and an afternoon session. During the morning, industry professionals give short presentations on job opportunities within the sector, and the afternoon sessions consist of ten-minute 'speed meetings', where students get the chance to meet industry professionals face to face.

In a full lecture hall at Southampton’s Waterfront Campus, some people even had to stand, various speakers held short presentations to an audience mainly existing of students, not seldom looking for a job. Amongst the speakers on Wednesday were Michael Colley, project manager for Gardline Environmental, Ed Danson, C-Nav international sales and marketing director, and Paul Wright, associate director at the Marine Institute of the University of Plymouth.

Ed Danson opened his presentation with asking whether there were people in the hall who are looking for jobs. The audience responded with a loud ‘yeaaah’. Danson started with a review on his own career, continued with the opportunities at C&C Technologies. He also told the attendees about competency and professional qualifications and presented a so-called ‘right stuff’-slide, illustrating what is expected from a professional in the offshore industry. He concluded his presentation with a humorous sketch of the life of a hydrographic surveyor.

Marine Institute

Paul Wright was the last speaker of the Wednesday morning programme and proofed to be a very enthusiastic speaker who inspired the audience about the many opportunities in the marine and maritime sector. The University of Plymouth – with the UK's largest marine student population of over 2,600 students – has a long tradition of marine and maritime education and clearly wants to continue this tradition. Besides all the broad range of courses for students, the University also offers post-graduate courses, which are of great value to maritime business and marine technology.

According to the Maritime Institute’s associate director, there will always be demand for well educated survey professionals. He highlighted coastal engineering as a very challenging area, in view of the climate change and the raising of the sea-level. Paul Wright ended his presentation with a number of University of Portsmouth graduates and their careers after. And so the participants got a very vivid picture of the opportunities that the courses of the University of Plymouth’s Marine Institute offer.