Marine Society’s Coming Ashore programme is now in its fourth year of operation and has welcomed nearly 400 seafarers onto the programme in their search for a smooth transition to a shore-side maritime role.
The programme has now progressed to a stage where it now offers a work placement scheme titled Sea to Shore Placement Scheme (SSIPS). This initiative gives employers the opportunity to declare their interest in finding interns to fill placement roles, hopefully leading to permanent roles within their company.
The key for the Coming Ashore mentees is to experience life ashore before making the permanent transition, to see if the sector of their choice is what they hoped for and if there skillset aligns with the role.
Nazmus Sakib was the first mentee to obtain a work placement through the SSIPS scheme at Thomas Miller, the managers of the UK P&I Club. The placement catered specifically to his interest in maritime law and claims, and reaffirmed his decision to move ashore.
“Working in the UK P&I Club gave me the practical experience to see how people are handling the claims. The 2-week placement gave me the chance to work directly with the claims team and work on real life cases.
I took part in training sessions helping me to understand cargo claims and the steps taken when an emergency occurs.
Overall, I know now that when I finish my master’s degree, I can meet the expectations the UK P&I Club have for me. It has made my journey much clearer.”
One of the UK P&I Club’s Regional Claims Directors, Thomas Starr, a former mariner himself, was delighted with Nazmus’ input during the fortnight and believes the initiative is very positive for seafarers in the same predicament.
“For us it’s about a wider support and helping the industry that we are all so passionate about.
As an employer of ex-mariners, it's only right that we give back to the industry and help people get some insight into the way the maritime services sector and marine insurance work. So we're happy to support it going forward.”
If you would like to register your interest in offering a SSIP please complete this form.
