Do you want to become a Merchant Navy Engineering Officer? Here is some information to help point you in the right direction:
Job Description - 
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The Merchant Navy is the name for the civilian shipping industry. It is made up of companies that operate ships, ranging from small tugs, coasters and ferries, through to large ocean-going tankers, bulk carriers, container and cruise ships. It also includes the offshore energy industry, as well as the supply and support ships operated by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) for the Royal Navy.
Engineering officers are responsible for maintaining and operating the ship's mechanical and electrical equipment. This includes the ship's engines, pumps and fuel systems, control equipment, lifts and cranes, and computer-controlled engine management systems. Officers are also in charge of the ratings under their command on the ship.
Life on board ship is a 24-hour-a-day operation. The work is divided into shifts (called watches) which are typically four hours on, followed by eight hours off. An engineering officer's time is mainly spent in the engine control room and the engine room, which may be noisy and hot. On deck, they may be exposed to stormy weather. In the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, engineering officers may have to work in warfare situations.
Salaries range from around £8,000 to over £45,000.
Merchant Navy engineering officers need to be:
The shipping industry in the UK recruits around 600 trainees a year. More than 40 UK shipping companies employ around 18,000 deck and engineering officers.
There are three main routes to a career as an engineering officer: with GCSEs/S grades or A levels/H grades (usually maths or physics), with a degree (for instance, in marine or mechanical engineering), or as a graduate with a science-related degree. Royal Navy officers with appropriate experience can apply to be Merchant Navy engineering officers. Civilians with appropriate engineering qualifications can join a relevant conversion programme.
Officer cadet training usually lasts three years and is made up of alternating periods at sea and at marine colleges ashore.
Promotion is based on length of service and merit. Merchant Navy training and experience can stand people in good stead for a wide range of jobs in engineering and management.
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