[Maritime Profession] Engineering Crew of Seagoing Vessels

Sea-faring on sea-going vessels is a specialised field requiring professional nautical knowledge and professional qualifications. One can gain extensive practical knowledge and visit different countries to broaden his/her horizons by working on board a sea-going vessel.Take container vessels as an example. Each container vessel requires approximately 18 to 24 crew members. The Captain is the head of the vessel who takes charge of both the deck and engineering departments.ProspectThe seafaring career carries a clear progression pathway and good remuneration. Having accumulated sufficient sea-going experience, seafarers may also turn to the shored-based professional maritime services sector, including maritime law and arbitration, ship management, ship finance, marine insurance and shipbroking, for further career development. These sectors have a great demand for talent with sea-going experience. Entry Requirement To become a Marine Engineer Officer, one must first complete recognised maritime programmes and the specified pre-sea training, and serve as a cadet in the engineering department to receive training on board a sea-going vessel. Having completed the 1-year integrated workshop skills training and obtained sufficient sea-going experience, the cadet may apply for the examination for a Certificate of Competency (Marine Engineer Officer) (Sea-going) Class 3. Upon passing the examination, the cadet will be eligible to serve as a third engineer or fourth engineer. The subsequent examinations for Certificate of Competencies (Marine Engineer Officer) Classes 2 and 1 require additional sea-going experience of 12 months and 24 months respectively. After obtaining the Class 1 certificate, the officer is eligible to serve as a chief engineer.The video below introduces the entry requirements, work environment, career prospects and career pathway of the Marine Engineer Officers of seagoing vessels. For more details, please visit the website of Hong Kong Maritime and Port Board.

Female staff excels in maritime jobs

(The photo is provided by Information Services Department) The maritime industry is historically male-dominated. But nowadays more and more women are choosing to join.Female officers can be found working in various grades at the Marine Department. Besides the general grade officers, there are about 100 female officers in the Department, accounting for about 10% of the total workforce. They hold positions like Senior Marine Officer, Senior Assistant Shipping Master, Ship Inspector, Assistant Marine Controller, Marine Inspector and Launch Assistant. (The photo is provided by Information Services Department) Assistant Marine Controller Peggy Hui joined the Department in August 2017. Her main duty is to monitor sea traffic within Hong Kong waters at the Vessel Traffic Centre, providing navigational advice and safety information to vessels. She recalled that during one shift, the centre received a report that an an explosion occurred on an oil tanker. Using the witness’ information, she confirmed the tanker’s location on the radar screen immediately and reported the incident to senior management. She then gathered more information to assist other government departments with the rescue.“ Having gained this experience, I realised that I must always be on the alert to deal with emergencies." She said, "The biggest challenge is to provide a timely and effective response under ever-changing weather conditions and sea traffic to ensure navigational safety." (The photo is provided by Information Services Department) Bright prospectsAfter graduating from the Maritime Services Training Institute in 2007, Ms Hui worked for a high-speed vessel company for about a decade. She rose through the ranks to chief officer - the principal assistant to the Captain. When she was preparing to go study at the institute, Ms Hui’s family expressed reservations about her decision. “They thought I had chosen the wrong subject. Now that I have worked in this field for more than 10 years, they see how much I have progressed and fully support me.” Ms Hui has no regrets about her decision and believes women can be an asset to the industry. "Even though we are considered physically weaker than our male counterparts, we are just as meticulous in our work and can complement each other. I think there are good career prospects in the maritime industry. The clear career path enables me to set goals and work hard to achieve them." (The photo is provided by Information Services Department) Career dedicationThere are currently three female ship inspectors in the Department. Lilian Chan is one of them. She joined the Department more than three years ago. She was first posted to the Maintenance & Support Section and then later transferred to the Government New Construction Section. “In the Maintenance & Support Section, I was responsible for monitoring the repair progress of government vessels so that they could resume duty on time.” Before joining the Marine Department, she worked on ocean-going vessels and in shipyards, so working in a non-office setting suits her better. “I prefer working at different locations instead of in the office. When I complete my job or get the vessels back to work safely, I feel a sense of achievement,” Ms Chan added.

[Female Maritime Professionals Series] Seagoing Seafaring

Nowadays in Hong Kong, there are not many seafarers in the ocean-going sector, not to even mention female seafarers.Chan Ka-man, Carmen was a seafarer with seatime of almost ten years. She is also the first female in Hong Kong to qualify as a Master of ocean-going ship. Carmen describes herself as energetic. Excited about adventures, she chose seafaring as her career after graduated from the Maritime Services Training Institute.Carmen said, "When I went on ship the first time, I realised that the actual scenario was totally different from what it was described in textbooks. The ocean is so vast. I even took out my camera and kept taking pictures of everything...." For more details, please visit the Hong Kong Maritime and Port Board website.

[Maritime Profession] Deck Officers of Seagoing Vessels

Sea-faring on sea-going vessels is a specialised field requiring professional nautical knowledge and professional qualifications. One can gain extensive practical knowledge and visit different countries to broaden his/her horizons by working on board a sea-going vessel.Take container vessels as an example. Each container vessel requires approximately 18 to 24 crew members. The Captain is the head of the vessel who takes charge of both the deck and engineering departments.ProspectSeafaring career carries a clear progression pathway and good remuneration. Having accumulated sufficient sea-going experience, seafarers may also turn to the shored-based professional maritime services sector, including maritime law and arbitration, ship management, ship finance, marine insurance and shipbroking, for further career development. These sectors have a great demand for talent with sea-going experience. Entry Requirement To become a deck officer, one must first complete recognised maritime programmes and the specified pre-sea training, and serve as a cadet in the deck department on board a sea-going vessel to receive in-service training. Having obtained sea-going experience of 18 to 24 months (depending on the maritime course taken), the cadet may apply for the examination for a Certificate of Competency (Deck Officer) (Sea-going) Class 3. Upon passing the examination, the cadet is eligible to serve as a third officer or a second officer. The subsequent examinations for Certificate of Competencies (Deck Officer) Classes 2 and 1 require additional sea-going experience of 1 year and 2 years respectively. After obtaining the Class 1 certificate, the officer is eligible to serve as a Captain.The video below introduces the entry requirements, working environment, career prospects and career pathway of the deck officers of seagoing vesselsn. For more details, please visit Hong Kong Maritime and Port Board website.

Get equipped for a career in the maritime industry

Earlier, the Marine Department has invited youngsters to visit the Vessel Traffic Centre (VTC) and Marine Emergency and Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC). Participants were able to acquire knowledge about the traffic of vessels in the Hong Kong port area and maritime technology regarding emergency communication and rescue operation at sea. Having learned about the functions and operations of the Marine Department, they can beef up the plans for their career development in the maritime industry. Let us join them in the exploratory visit. Are you ready? Check out the video for more information! (The video is conducted in Cantonese)

Harbor tour by Hong Kong Sea School (II)

In the last episode, we understand more about our future stars of maritime industry. In this episode we will take you to more spots the Harbour Tour has visited and listen to the plans of some other students regarding a career in the industry. (The video is conducted in Cantonese)

Harbor tour by Hong Kong Sea School (I)

A Harbour Tour was arranged by the Marine Department for the “All-rounded Learning Week” held by Hong Kong Sea School. Wong, Marine Inspector II, explained to the participating students the Department’s daily work of managing the ports and relevant port facilities. Many students showed interest in joining the maritime industry. Take a look at the first video episode for places the Harbour Tour visited and the dreams of the students. (The video is conducted in Cantonese)