There are careers in the marine construction industry to suit a wide range of people, so in this article we’ll explore some of the jobs and roles available in our industry.
‘What is a Barge Master?’ is a question that we hear frequently. Barge Masters are responsible for overseeing the marine operations on floating barges or jack up barges. As well as operating the barge, they are also responsible for the safety of the people and equipment. This is an ideal career for individuals that enjoy working in a challenging dynamic environment, have a desire to travel and most importantly enjoy working as part of a wider team to achieve common goals.
However, there wouldn’t be a role for barge masters without all of the highly skilled individuals who are also involved on site and behind the scenes. On site roles involve project managers, site engineers, boat skippers and plant operators.
In the marine plant hire industry, there are also yard based roles to supply and maintain all the rental equipment, these can include welders, fabricators, logistics, mechanical and hydraulic fitters.
There are numerous supporting back office roles required to complete construction projects, CAD technicians, estimators, accountants, quantity surveyors, administrators to name a few.
Most on site roles begin with people completing their education and looking for a hands-on position. Working for marine construction contractors as an apprentice enables young people to build up a solid foundation for their future career by expanding their experience of the marine plant, roles and responsibilities involved in the industry.
The diversity of the roles on offer means that there are many routes into marine construction. The civil engineering industry also recruits from the armed forces through schemes such as the Leavers Link, which enables people to find jobs after leaving the military.
This is how Mark Smith, Red7Marine’s QMS Manager, found himself in the industry and comments: “After several years in the Army, I was looking for a new challenge that allowed me to use the welding skills I honed in the forces”.
Whereas Kristen Branford, Commercial Director at Red7Marine entered the marine construction industry after university. He progressed his career from section engineer, to site engineer and then section manager. Kristen’s experience within the marine construction industry have gained him invaluable expertise in civil engineering, marine piling, project management and risk mitigation.
However, the industry is not just for men, one of the largest infrastructure projects currently in Europe, the Thames Tideway Tunnel, has committed to the target of half the workforce being women.
Marine civil engineering offers a wide variety of career opportunities that are suited to people of all ages, backgrounds and gender. The roles within the industry are extremely diverse and enable individuals to develop their skills each and every day. So let curiosity get the better of you, explore some of the roles in the civil engineering and marine construction industry and you may find a career waiting for you in a dynamic, exciting environment.