It was “all aboard” for a unique event at South Devon College’s Marine Academy as it held its annual ‘Girls In Maritime’ day, showcasing career opportunities to Year 10 girls from across the region.
Students from Dartmouth Academy, Brixham College and Paignton Academy visited the Marine Academy at Noss Marina to take part in various activities, both land and water based, with the aim of encouraging and inspiring young women to consider careers in the maritime sector.
The event gave the 55 girls the opportunity to try first-hand various fun and engaging activities, including the Junk Boat Challenge, where students worked together to build and navigate their own model pirate boats created from junk such as water bottles and tape. As well as being a creative project, it gave them an introduction to vessel design and stability.
The visiting students got to experience the world of maritime navigation by learning how to read navigational charts and using the College’s state-of-the-art bridge simulation technology, which offers custom-designed training in vessel navigation and handling. They then took to the water on the boats used at the Marine Academy and examined the sustainability of the vessels, immersing them in the practical aspects of marine activities.
Lexi Usher, a student at Dartmouth Academy who attended the event, said: “It’s great that we’ve been given the opportunity to come to the Marine Academy. We’ve been shown around and it gives a good insight into the possible careers on offer – the equipment is amazing. It’s nice to see women being treated the same as men and given the same opportunities.”
Fellow student Willow Horwood commented: “We’re really lucky to learn how females in the marine engineering communities have made use of the opportunities available to them.
“We live on the River Dart so it’s easy to relate to how marine industries comes together and, as I’m not yet decided on my future career path, it’s good to hear about the opportunities available to me and to hear the experiences of those already working in the sector.”
The event sponsors, College employer partners ABB, RYA and the Royal Navy, were on hand to interact with the students and share valuable insights into potential career paths within the marine industry.
Ian Fenton, Lecturer and the RYA lead at the college said: ‘It’s always a pleasure to promote our industry as a worthy career pathway to the next generation and having this opportunity to inspire these potential entrants to the Maritime Sector within their peer groups is invaluable in helping them choose their next steps.”
This is the first time this event has been held at the Marine Academy site on the River Dart in its five-year history, to give access to the first-rate facilities on offer and provide a taste of the technology, equipment and industry specialists available to those who study one of the College’s marine-based qualifications.
Over the next 10 years, South Devon College Marine Academy aims to close the skills gap within the maritime industry and encourage more females to enter the sector.
Rebecca Marler, Trainer Facilitator for Maritime Skills at South Devon College, said: “We had an incredible turnout for the Girls in Maritime day at South Devon College Marine Academy. The day was filled with engaging activities, hands-on workshops and inspiring talks from women leaders in the marine industry.
“It was heartwarming to see so many young girls enthusiastic about exploring careers in the maritime industry. Events like these are crucial for breaking down gender stereotypes and encouraging diversity in fields where women are traditionally under-represented. By providing these opportunities, we hope to inspire the next generation of female marine professionals.”
For information on our Marine courses, please visit Marine Archives – South Devon College.
The college runs a number of RYA Courses, open to anyone who would like to brush up their skills or progress within the various schemes either as leisure or commercial boater. Contact [email protected] for more details.
