Maritime Futures programme
Our Maritime Futures Programme is a five day residential course for young people aged 14–17 years. The course introduces participants to the diverse career opportunities within the maritime sector while developing essential employability skills through water-based activities and hands-on learning.
For those who need financial support, UKSA’s Sea.Change fund provides fully funded places for those who would otherwise be unable to afford it, ensuring cost is never a barrier.
Funding partners
Launched in 2021 in partnership with The Prince’s Trust, the Maritime Futures programme is a five-day residential course for 14–17-year-olds, combining water-based activities with tutorial sessions that challenge students to step out of their comfort zones to develop resilience, self-confidence, and key employability skills.
The five-day programme offers the chance to experience a range of exciting water-based activities include dinghy sailing, sea survival, yachting, keel boating and stand-up paddle-boarding alongside tutorial sessions covering maritime career opportunities.
These include workshops in engineering, navigation & radar, superyacht interior, deckhand, powerboating and use of our state-of-the-art Transas sailing simulation suite.
Bridging the gap between education and employment
The Maritime Futures programme bridges the gap between education and employment by
informing young people of the career opportunities in the maritime industry. The five-day residential course for teenagers combines water-based activities with an career-focused tutorial sessions.
Designed for students who may not excel in traditional academic environments, the programme encourages teamwork, problem-solving, and self-reflection in an immersive learning setting.
Alongside practical training, tutorial sessions introduce them to maritime career opportunities that UKSA deliver training on, including engineering, navigation & radar, superyacht interior and deckhand roles, and our state-of-the-art TRANSAS sailing simulation suite, as well as signposting to other maritime career opportunities like the Royal Navy, shipping and marine conservation. Through shared challenges, students build strong connections with UKSA staff and leave with a renewed sense of ambition, improved behaviour, and greater academic engagement.
Through targeted outreach, we connect with schools, groups and individuals in highly deprived areas, offering young people from disadvantaged backgrounds access to the Maritime Futures Programme to develop resilience, self-confidence, and key employability skills.
Oceans of opportunity for those that need it most
To ensure our Maritime Future programme is accessible to everyone, UKSA established the Sea.Change fund ensuring that those who would otherwise miss out can access fully funded places. Funding is available for this course if your parent or guardian receive Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, or other government assistance programmes.
If you are an individual interested in booking a place on this course, please e-mail [email protected] or call (01983) 203038).
Adame’s Story
“School is not the place for me; they don’t teach us values to come into the real world.”
In August 2022, Adame was introduced to the water through UKSA’s Sea.Change programme. He had no idea about the opportunities in maritime but quickly realised it’s what he wanted to pursue.
Adame then joined our NCFE Programme; a 2-year programme designed to gain the relevant skills required to start a career in the maritime industry. Since being inspired by his instructors, Adame completed additional qualifications to become and instructor himself, working for UKSA this summer. Adame aims to continue working towards the Cadetship programme at UKSA next year to become a superyacht captain.
Sea.Change Case Study
Badr Ahmed – 2023 Sea.Change Fund beneficiary
#SeaChangeStories
“I can’t focus on learning at school, but the way they teach things at UKSA is different. It’s the first place where I haven’t just been treated like a kid – they even trusted me to drive the boat! They’re my role models and now I want to be a watersports instructor when I grow up. I’ve never felt like I had options for the future before.”
Raffy – Maritime Futures Programme Attendee
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