Cadetship on standby - disadvantage for finding jobs?

[lakepalmer]

hi there
Have also posted this on deck officer

Hi all,
I am just coming to the end of my first month at sea as a cadet doing standby in the North Sea. It's not for me. Will certainly be looking for a different kind of ship when I qualify. Can anyone tell me if it is difficult to get taken on another type of company if the only training you got was in standby? Bit worried about this as we just stay in the same place and don't see any traffic. Not the best practise.

I didn't ask for standby from my training company. I actually put in a proviso after my three choices that if I couldn't get one of my top 3 then I would like the chance to travel. So they stuck me in the North Sea. Hmmm?

Also how difficult is it to change companies during the cadetship? Does it often happen? I imagine they wouldn't take kindly to the suggestion.
thanks

[dawg]

Re: Cadetship on standby - disadvantage for finding jobs?

Which company is that then?
(PM if you like... but the idea of this forum is that we can all be a bit more open and revealing about what's what... you can always re-register in another name if it helps ).

[Steve]

Re: Cadetship on standby - disadvantage for finding jobs?

Changing companies at the top level, e.g. from Clyde Marine to Shell, is not done. They all have an unwritten agreement not to poach cadets. Doesn't mean they will all necessarily stick to it I suppose, but unless your company goes out of business it's difficult to switch.

At the lower level, amongst the companies served by your training company (I'm assuming it's Clyde Marine or one of the similar outfits), it might be possible. Certainly you don't want to be a cadet on standby boats.

Scream at Clyde Marine - or whoever your training company is - that you've done a trip on standby boats and you won't do any more! It's a waste. The cadets I know of that did spend time on standby boats also got time on other types of ship - you can't complete your VQ portfolio (have they changed that system now?) on a standby boat anyway.

Get the college to back you up if necessary, though they tend to be rather cosy with the training companies.

[steamer]

Re: Cadetship on standby - disadvantage for finding jobs?

It's looking like I'm going to be starting a cadetship on a standby vessel in September with Boston Putford. I'm an older cadet and my age has been a slight barrier in getting a place, so it seems I'll just have to lump it. I believe that Boston Putford have a mixture of Standby and PSV ships and I hope that I get to experience the whole range....would prefer deep sea though

[dawg]

Re: Cadetship on standby - disadvantage for finding jobs?

Changing companies at the top level, e.g. from Clyde Marine to Shell, is not done. They all have an unwritten agreement not to poach cadets.

Isn't it something to do with the Seaman's Discharge Book admin? The company that you start with sets up your book, and then pops you on some list the DfT holds to claim their Tonnage Tax rebate?
That would make sense to me, in that I can't envisage companies wanting to do extra faffy admin for what they might regard as a fussy cadet.
It also seems to tally with the thing about companies taking on cadets from other ones that have corpsed - the admin's already set up, so there's a clear financial incentive to take one on whose on the Tonnage Tax register (if such a thing exists!); and they get a grateful, rather than a fussy cadet.

I'm an older cadet and my age has been a slight barrier in getting a place,

How do you mean?
There is legislation about that sort of thing (how effective discrimination legislation is in the real world is another matter).
Is it that some acquaintance has informally suggested that to you? Or has an oaf just blurted it out in some official capacity?


A little background on 'em

http://www.shipsandoil.com/ShipInformat ... ostonP.htm
http://www.oilpubs.com/oso/article.asp?v1=8275
http://www.maritimelowestoft.co.uk/boston_putford.html
http://www.errva.org.uk/boston.php
http://www.seacormarine.com/ourfleet.cgi?type=sbsv

Seems their parent company has 8 American flagged tankers
http://www.seabulktankers.com/

...doesn't look like deep sea is an option in that organisation.

[Steve]

Re: Cadetship on standby - disadvantage for finding jobs?

Isn't it something to do with the Seaman's Discharge Book admin? The company that you start with sets up your book, and then pops you on some list the DfT holds to claim their Tonnage Tax rebate?
That would make sense to me, in that I can't envisage companies wanting to do extra faffy admin for what they might regard as a fussy cadet.
It also seems to tally with the thing about companies taking on cadets from other ones that have corpsed - the admin's already set up, so there's a clear financial incentive to take one on whose on the Tonnage Tax register (if such a thing exists!); and they get a grateful, rather than a fussy cadet.

I doubt it's directly related to the discharge book, since that's got nothing to do with a sponsoring company, from what I remember. Years since I applied for it though so I don't recall in detail.

However, you are probably correct that it is at least partially for tonnage tax reasons. For anyone not familiar with the UK tonnage tax, it requires companies with UK registered ships to employ British cadets at a certain ratio to the number of officers that they employ on those UK registered ships. If one company poaches a cadet from another, that messes up the cadet's previous employer for compliance with the tonnage tax rules.

The tonnage tax cadet requirements are part of the reason there are so many UK cadets and companies like Clyde Marine who are really just looking for warm bodies to fill tonnage tax billets on standby boats.

[steamer]

Re: Cadetship on standby - disadvantage for finding jobs?

Yes....age discrimination does come to mind-but as someone who needs to both change career and has been dreaming of this as a career I'm happy to take what I can get!

As long as I achieve a CoC, I don't care who I do it with!

[dawg]

Re: Cadetship on standby - disadvantage for finding jobs?

As long as I achieve a CoC, I don't care who I do it with!

Surely not?

[steamer]

Re: Cadetship on standby - disadvantage for finding jobs?

Fraid so matey! I'm going with Boston Putford, they have a good safety record, the pay isn't bad and they're prepared to take on an oldie like me. At least with an offshore company like that, the language barrier is less of a problem and officers are more likely to have been trained in the UK. Swings and Roundabouts really.

[dawg]

Re: Cadetship on standby - disadvantage for finding jobs?

Sure... there's always pros and cons to every company. I'd put "safety record" pretty high up the pros list myself, as I've got little 'uns to think of. Training quality is pretty important too. I'm quite keen to hear comparisons of people's experiences on this forum...

I'm not a spotty teenager either, but I insist on being referred to as young until I retire

[steamer]

Re: Cadetship on standby - disadvantage for finding jobs?

I'm only 21...and I'm bloody sticking to it!

[dawg]

Re: Cadetship on standby - disadvantage for finding jobs?

an oldie like me.

I was picturing something more along these lines... :P

[steamer]

Re: Cadetship on standby - disadvantage for finding jobs?

Not far off.......

[lakepalmer]

Re: Cadetship on standby - disadvantage for finding jobs?

Would rather not say who I am with but you were close to the mark in the first reply.
Pretty sure you can get your mntrb book finished with them.
Have asked if I can get some experience on a different type of ship that they have but was told that a it is the offshore part of the organisation that is sponsoring me I can't get a shot on anything other than offshore. I think I will just have to lump it and hope that it is not a disadvantage to me. Some people on deck officer said that a lot of companies just want the ticket and don't care what ship you are on. I certainly hope so.

[lakepalmer]

Re: Cadetship on standby - disadvantage for finding jobs?

My college said (when asked for advice) that I could complete good training with the offshore and it is difficult to change.