Sponsor options now and future opportunities

[ekst9]

Hello again

I was recommended SSTG by a friend and applied online. They responded very quickly and i arranged an interview that i was successful with. Their company seems helpful and friendly and i feel i would be happy to receive the level of support they offer whilst completing my training.

Researching the sponsoring companies i have found it hard to decide between offshore and shipping containers. I think i will opt for the the containers as the size of the ships and opportunities to work on the ship as it sails to various ports and seas exciting. Am i correct in thinking my training would be comprehensive on both types of vessel? Would it be harder to get work on offshore later in my career or vise versa if i ever wanted to change?

SSTG companies i am most interested in are OOCL, CMA-CGM and Evergreen
Although i do like the look of Boston Putford, North Star and Sealion

Can anybody enlighten me a little more on companies likely to take me on after completing my time with them as a cadet?
Please if anyone could share any experiences with these companies or information i should consider before deciding.

Any recommendations of companies that i may get the chance to sail on a wider variety of ships in the fleet?

Will be applying to some others maybe Maersk and Prichard Gorden soon as i feel it will be beneficial to still consider all my options

[mrdarkness]

from what ive heard from guys at my college, Boston Putford and Sealion are more likely to offer you something once you qualify. if you want variety then Maersk is the way to go as they have one of the biggest fleets in the world with everything from container ships to tugs! offshore is a good way to work as the moneys spot on, not over long contracts and fairly decent job security once qualified.

shouldnt be too hard to transfer over from one side of the industry to another as afterall, you'll have an Unlimited ticket! hope this helps

[pintero]

Does SSTG recruit also on board only? (without studying in college) Do they recruit on offshore vessels?

[SWonder]

Hi there, three of my class mates are with North Star. They seemed to enjoy their first Sea phase, they were on Standby boats and Supply boats all based in the North Sea. They commented that the weather was pretty bad and due to the size of the ship and rough seas it could be tricky but they got used to it. They work watches and do not operate UMS, I am unsure if North Star will keep them on when they are finished. I am not sure what the situation with SSTG is currently regarding pay etc but I know that my class mates with North Star get their accomodation paid for them and also receive around ?800 a month,this pay is the same regardless of it they are at sea or at college. One lad is with OOCL, he did 2months and 18 days on a container ship, all foreign crew and he said he felt a bit isolated but that could just be him, pay wise.....pretty poor according to him,around the ?330 mark but I think he gets his accomodation paid for him. Hope that helps,as for Offshore V Container ships etc, I am on Tankers deep sea so can't really help you there!

[thebrookster]

Both cadets in my phase were kept on by North Star (qualified in August this year), and they also took two other guys in my class on after they qualified. (1 from Container, and the other was on tankers.)

North Star have been doing quite well recently, so if that is what you want then worth serious consideration, I reckon.

[bobofinga]

North Star keep on their cadets IF there is a positon available at the time for them , which is pretty good.

However the North Sea is a cruel mistress and not for everybody! I've seen many a cadet turn green on their first trip

[EH75]

Currently almost finished my second sea phase with one of the container ships companies you have mentioned so I will give you my opinion.

My training has been ok. The majoirty of the officers I have sailed with have been happy to try and help out wherever possible but the language barrier and the complete lack of familiarity with the UK training system has been frustrating at times. I am also never really sure if what they are telling me or the procedures they are following are strictly the correct way to do things. There have been things I have been told which I have later discovered through my own research to be completely incorrect and some things I have witnessed which have been downright dangerous. Having said that, I am nearly finished and have managed to get all my TRB signed off (not that they questioned me about any of the signatures I asked for) and I expect to be able to get my OOW ticket at the end of it. That's the main thing, right?

I really wouldn't base your decision on what company to choose on where in the world you might go. If you do get shore leave, in my experience it will be a maximum of 6 to 8 hours, so not really enough time to do much considering that will often include up to an hour each way travelling time. I spend most of my shore leave wandering around shopping malls buying food and checking my watch to make sure I'm not going to be late back.

The food has generally been pretty poor. I have lost over a stone this trip and I'm not a fussy eater. They have tried to cater for our needs in that they appreciate unlike the Filipino guys we can't live off a diet of rice three times a day but the reality is the cook simply has no idea what people eat in Europe, which has led to some interesting attempts at 'western food'. Recreation wise there is a gym, although its not great. Treadmill and a bike and thats pretty much it. Also don't underestimate the effect of being away for a long time if you go deep sea. I have been away for over 6 months and it is a VERY long time.

Most of the guys I know in the North Sea have at least some British officers, sky telly, get to go home more often than me and a lot of them get paid more.

Future job prospects on containers are pretty poor, most of the companies will not keep on their cadets, you will have a much better chance of that in the North Sea.

Oh, and I certainly wouldn't describe the container shipping industry as 'exciting'. Although sitting on a standby boat probably isn't either, unless its a force 10 (which I understand it frequently is).

Ultimately up to you what type of ship you choose though obviously. If you really fancy containers then go for it. I have seen some interesting places to be fair and athough you are away for a long time you should hopefully get a bit longer at home in one stint, unlike my mates in the North Sea a lot of whom are only home for a few days at a time. No guarantees there though.

[dannyboy]

well i'm with Boston Putford and let you go on a observation trip on one of there boats for a few weeks. which is rather handy to find out if sea life is for you

[gadget123]

Currently almost finished my second sea phase with one of the container ships companies you have mentioned so I will give you my opinion.

My training has been ok. The majoirty of the officers I have sailed with have been happy to try and help out wherever possible but the language barrier and the complete lack of familiarity with the UK training system has been frustrating at times. I am also never really sure if what they are telling me or the procedures they are following are strictly the correct way to do things. There have been things I have been told which I have later discovered through my own research to be completely incorrect and some things I have witnessed which have been downright dangerous. Having said that, I am nearly finished and have managed to get all my TRB signed off (not that they questioned me about any of the signatures I asked for) and I expect to be able to get my OOW ticket at the end of it. That's the main thing, right?

I really wouldn't base your decision on what company to choose on where in the world you might go. If you do get shore leave, in my experience it will be a maximum of 6 to 8 hours, so not really enough time to do much considering that will often include up to an hour each way travelling time. I spend most of my shore leave wandering around shopping malls buying food and checking my watch to make sure I'm not going to be late back.

The food has generally been pretty poor. I have lost over a stone this trip and I'm not a fussy eater. They have tried to cater for our needs in that they appreciate unlike the Filipino guys we can't live off a diet of rice three times a day but the reality is the cook simply has no idea what people eat in Europe, which has led to some interesting attempts at 'western food'. Recreation wise there is a gym, although its not great. Treadmill and a bike and thats pretty much it. Also don't underestimate the effect of being away for a long time if you go deep sea. I have been away for over 6 months and it is a VERY long time.

Most of the guys I know in the North Sea have at least some British officers, sky telly, get to go home more often than me and a lot of them get paid more.

Future job prospects on containers are pretty poor, most of the companies will not keep on their cadets, you will have a much better chance of that in the North Sea.

Oh, and I certainly wouldn't describe the container shipping industry as 'exciting'. Although sitting on a standby boat probably isn't either, unless its a force 10 (which I understand it frequently is).

Ultimately up to you what type of ship you choose though obviously. If you really fancy containers then go for it. I have seen some interesting places to be fair and athough you are away for a long time you should hopefully get a bit longer at home in one stint, unlike my mates in the North Sea a lot of whom are only home for a few days at a time. No guarantees there though.

Really does seem to be the case that deep sea cargo , particularly dry cargo isn't the best option for cadet training. It's a shame really.

[jonnylambert]

i am also with boston putford like dannyboy, it is good having a helping hand from sstg but boston putford really do care about their cadets and its good to be able to deal straight with them as the staff in the office are very friendly! the observer trip is something that no other shipping company that i know offers, so have a good think about boston putford as they really are a good stable company to train with! and you get a 2 year contract afterwards so you already have experience where as you wouldnt if you looked for a job straight after qualifying.
if you have any further queries dont hesitate to contact me