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Starting a Royal Navy apprenticeship means you get the travel and adventure of a gap year, while also gaining the new skills and experience you’d get at college or university. From day one of training, you’ll be making friends and enjoying a sense of camaraderie you won’t find anywhere else. Here, you learn your trade on the job and gain recognised qualifications, doing work that really matters under the guidance of your experienced crewmates.
Think an apprenticeship means being stuck in a classroom all day? Think again. With the Royal Navy you’ll be learning on the job and applying your newfound skills in real work situations. Your apprenticeship begins after basic training, or during if you’re joining the Royal Marines. The course is a mix of theory and work-based learning, with a few formal interviews and practical assessments along the way. You’ll be expected to complete a Career Development Journal as you progress. Your time will roughly be split at 20% learning and 80% working, which means you’ll be an important member of the team from day one, gaining new skills at the same time as developing your knowledge.
I’m right in the thick of the action. It can be pretty full-on, but that’s part of the buzz. Sitting in an office wouldn’t cut it now I’ve tasted this kind of work.
Part of my job is 'watch on the bridge', acting as a helmsman. That means I'm actually in charge of steering the ship and putting my training into practice.
The information I gather is crucial to the overall mission. I get support from those with more experience, then send my data to the Commanding Officer.
We get time off every day, which I like to spend either phoning my family, catching up with mates back home, or playing FIFA in the mess.
After working hard all day, it’s good to wind down and have a few drinks with my crewmates. That might be in the mess bar or a foreign port.
I work in the Ops Room a lot, using our Early Warning Radar System. I pass information to the Warfare Officer, who uses it to make tactical decisions.
I’m working towards an NVQ, so time off to study is built into my schedule. And if I’m struggling, there are plenty of experienced people around to help.
I’ve always wanted to go into medicine, but I want to see the world too – that’s why I chose the Royal Navy for my apprenticeship.
I get downtime every day. When you live and work with your friends, there’s always something going on, from a few drinks in the mess to a work-out in the gym.
The Royal Navy paid for me to specialise, so I’m currently on an intensive care placement. It can be full on, but I chose it so I’d be ready for the real thing.
We’re really well supported throughout our training, so there’s always time to spend with my mentor. One day I’ll be one myself, so it’s great experience.
We need to maintain our military skills. That’s why we do extra military training as a class, so we can help on operations in different ways.
On an apprenticeship, I get to rotate around all the different clinical areas. It’s a really good way to see how everyone works as a team.
There’s a lot of coursework to get through, so I have to get my head down from time to time. I have a lot of support – my tutor is so helpful.
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