Matt Turner

UKSA’s courses equip you with the right skills to embark on a successful career in the maritime industry. Matt Turner did his Superyacht Cadetship with us and has gone on to work on superyachts all along the Mediterranean coast. Matt shares his story:

Prior to UKSA, Matt was an outdoor instructor at the Conway Centre, Anglesey, which he had been doing for three years. In September 2016, he came to UKSA to undertake our esteemed Superyacht Cadetship, thanks to funding from the fantastic charity SeafarersUK.

I loved the self-skipper phase

Matt reflects, “my favourite experience had to be the self-skipper phase, where we spent the night in Hythe Marina and woke up with about 5mm of frost on the deck. It was so cold, but the boat looked fantastic.”

The most important skill that Matt learnt during his time with UKSA was “the ability to conduct himself during an interview and when around more professional people”, which has undoubtedly helped with his job-hunting.

“Don’t be scared – talk to people, but be polite, professional and fun.”

After graduation, Matt started work as a deckhand engineer

After completing his course, Matt got a job as a Deckhand Engineer on a superyacht. His career highlight so far has been spending his first season in Ibiza, where he learnt a great deal from his captain. These days, you can find Matt on a yard period in the beautiful town of La Ciotat in southern France, preparing the yacht for the season ahead.

UKSA is fantastic for networking and meeting like-minded people

When asked what advice he would give to someone starting out at UKSA, Matt replied, “Don’t be scared – talk to people, but be polite, professional and fun. You never know where it may go. Spend time in the bar – that’s where I met some of my best friends who weren’t even on my course! I also met some people going for their Yachtmaster ticket who recommended me for a job. Oh, and always offer to buy a round or pay for your drink – it goes a long way!”

To find out more about our Superyacht Cadetship, visit https://uksa.org/course/professional-training/superyachts/superyacht-cadetship-course/