Training, progression and development in the RFA

Initial training

Rating Training

As a Royal Fleet Auxiliary rating, your training begins at one of three places; HMS Raleigh, HMS Sultan or HMS Collingwood. Wherever you’re based initially, the training you’ll receive will give you the basics you need to do your job. Like the basic military training completed by Royal Navy ratings, the skills you gain here will stay with you throughout your career.

Initial Officer Training

Officer training begins at Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC) at Dartmouth. Here, you’ll spend ten weeks learning about us and our role, and developing your leadership and management skills before embarking on your Maritime Coastguard Agency accredited cadetship or utilising your previously earned Certificates of Competency within the wider fleet.

Logistics Supply Officer Trainee

Your training begins at Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC) at Dartmouth for 10 weeks, after which your specialist training will be undertaken at the Defence Logistics Management School at HMS Raleigh for 71 weeks, learning the Defence accounting systems and the Defence supply chain together with more RFA specific systems and policies. 

Professional development

Throughout your training, you’ll learn the specialist skills you need to do your job in even the most challenging conditions. You’ll gain these through a combination of time at sea and in the classroom.

It’s the start of a training process that will last right through your career. The exact length, location and content of your training depends on your job. For some jobs, such as a qualified Deck Officer, you’ll go straight to sea from Britannia Royal Naval College. Other roles might require a more prolonged period of education like the Officer Cadetships.

Once you have settled in to your normal working pattern you’ll regularly have access to professional courses that are recognised across the merchant shipping industry. You may even qualify for additional time off to study and get your fees paid by us.