Maritime training programme celebrates success

A vocational course that helps people launch maritime careers has celebrated the end of its five-year programme.

Hull City Council said 136 people completed the Maritime Futures training and 86% of students were from the city's most deprived areas.

Within a month of graduating, 80% secured jobs, including two who became the first women to join the crew of a fishing vessel.

Council leader Mike Ross said: "This programme has not only equipped individuals with the practical and numeracy skills needed to thrive at sea, but it has also opened doors for those who might never have considered a maritime career."

The training, carried out by East Coast Maritime Training, covers navigation, safety at sea and calculating shares of a catch.

It focused on improving adult maths-based skills and was supported by a council programme.

Fourteen cohorts completed the scheme, including Hannah Jenkinson and Megan Dosdale, the first women to serve aboard the Kirkella.

The fishing trawler is among the few remaining vessels of the country's distant-water fleet.

Captain of the ship Sigurbjörn Sigurdsson said: "The new recruits are adjusting well to life at sea, have developed a good rapport with their crewmates and are performing strongly in their roles.

"The Maritime Futures Programme has been key in attracting talented and well-prepared individuals."

The programme is part of the Hull Maritime project and is funded by Hull City Council and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

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