The aim of Stream Marine Careers is to provide shipping companies with the best Merchant Navy Officers, ready to sail the ships of tomorrow. Today, we are proud to announce our first Officer Cadet has passed his first Certificate of Competency (CoC), qualifying as an Engineer Officer. Andrew McCord was part of SMC’s first intake of cadets in 2019 and attended the City of Glasgow College. During his cadetship he sailed with both Zodiac Maritime Limited and Fred Olsen Cruise Lines.
Throughout his cadetship, Andrew had full support from the training officers at SMC and also took the opportunity to work part time as a lifeguard at the Stream Marine Training Glasgow facility to support his studies. Andrew is looking forward to having a long career, having secured his first role as a Third Engineering Officer with Fred Olsen Cruise Lines and hopes to progress and build on the knowledge gained during his cadetship. His long-term goal is to achieve his next Certificates of Competency and practical sea time to become a Chief Engineer.
We asked Andrew some questions about his time as a cadet, to help those currently considering a career at sea. Firstly, we asked Andrew what the highlight of his cadetship was and he told us it was hard to pick just one individual highlight, as he was fortunate enough to have great runs ashore and saw some incredible places. The memory, however, that sticks most in Andrew’s mind is transiting the Suez Canal for the first time. Furthermore, when asked what advice he would give to those considering a cadetship or about to begin theirs, is to just go for it!
“You get out of the cadetship what you put into it. At sea you’ll meet some great people who have years of experience and you can learn something from everyone so don’t be afraid to ask plenty of questions! You’ll sail with crew of many different nationalities and it’s a great way to learn about different cultures and lifestyles!”
Andrew also mentioned it’s important to always be on time, safety first and enjoy every minute of it! On behalf of Stream Marine Careers and the entire Stream Marine Group, we wish Andrew the best in his future endeavours and a safe and enjoyable career at sea. If you are interested in following Andrew’s career path, find out more about cadetships at SMC here.
