18th May 2018

FdSc Yacht Operations students swapped sailing for flying and headed south to the Superyacht hub that is Palma. Nestled between Ibiza and Manorca, the island of Mallorca has historically been a tourist destination hotspot; however in recent years the harbours around the capital city Palma have hosted an increasing amount of Superyachts and their associated crew. Many of the vessels moor here to make use of the wide range of yacht services, including riggers, boat builders, engineers, sail makers and vessel management. As such, the largest boatyard on the island is a sea of spectacularly sized vessels.

Many graduates from the FdSc Yacht Operations degree have found themselves walking the docks looking for work here after graduating, or flying out for an interview for a particular boat, and most of these students still work in the Superyacht industry having worked their way up through the ranks. Therefore, Palma seemed like a natural destination for a careers field trip, designed to help students make an informed decision about a career post-study and prepare them for working in the industry, whilst augmenting their current studies.

This year was the second visit and included visits to A+ Rigging, North Sails, Oyster Yachts, as well as the Palma Royal Nautical Club and various marinas and boatyards. The companies visited were able to give the students useful insights into the industry and some top-tips for employability and expectations. It was great to see students applying the knowledge gleaned from their lectures to a practical setting, and making links between theory and industry.

The students returned with a renewed motivation for their studies and a clearer picture of the industry as well as an invitation to submit their CV’s for consideration as crew members for Oyster yachts, after an insightful workshop into preparing a CV for the Superyacht industry. Four students have now secured work to move directly into once they’ve finished their studies this year. All but one of the first year students fly out to Greece next week to spend the summer working in the charter industry, whilst the other student has secured a position as berthing assistant for Torbay Harbour Authority. Well done everyone.

We look forward to next year’s visit!

If you are considering studying a degree and would like to see the opportunities available to you on your doorstep, join us for our Marine Academy Activity Day on Saturday 9th June between 10am-3pm. Register your attendance here.

In the meantime, please contact us on 08000 21 31 81 or email [email protected] if you have any questions.