Charting a career with the Nautilus Slater Fund: from AB to Officer of the Watch

2024's Nautilus Slater Fund awardee Dean Hodgson is a now a trainee dynamic positioning (DP) operator and second officer working for North star on the Grampian Explorer. He explains how hard work and a helping hand from the Fund have finally paid off. Interview by Deborah McPherson

What originally attracted you to a career in maritime?

I have family members who work at sea, and it was a natural choice to follow them into a maritime career. My brother also works at sea, he is a crane operator on dive support vessels.

What is your rank?

I was an AB for almost 17 years and decided it was time to become an Officer of the Watch, so I studied via distance learning and recently qualified as a second officer in July 2024.

Tell us some of your career highlights so far

The biggest highlight of my career was passing the Maritime & Coastguard Agency oral exam and qualifying as an Officer of the Watch. It took just over two years of study and hard work, but it was worth it in the end for both me and my family.

Who has helped you the most in your career?

The Marine Society and the Slater Fund helped me a lot by offering me a scholarship. I don't think I would have been able to do it without the funding. I've got young kids, a mortgage, bills to pay. I could have applied through the company I worked for and gone to college, but you don't get full wages.'

I would never have been able to gain my qualification and achieve the career prospects that I have now if it wasn't for the funding. Also, the Marine Society and Fleetwood College blended learning team were excellent and helped me a lot; they helped take the pressure off while I studied, by working hard behind the scenes booking courses and organising exams for me in line with my shore leave, and they were always there every step of the way.

The blended learning approach means that instead of going to college full time, you can carry on going to sea, doing your normal job, and then you study in your spare time. Once you're off the vessel, you can go to college and sit your exams and courses.

How long have you been a member of Nautilus?

I've been a Union member for around four years. I originally joined to be updated about what happened in the company meetings and so I can provide information on what I think should be brought up there. I also joined on the belief that if there are more members in the company, then there is more of a voice for the crews onboard the vessels.

What is the one change you think that would make the biggest positive difference for maritime professionals?

Fair pay. Seafarers work hard all year round and miss important things in life like birthdays, Christmases, and your child's first day at school. The salaries should match the sacrifices made by maritime professionals.

What are your future career aspirations?
I would like to eventually be a DP operator on offshore vessels or service operation vessels.

In the future I also wouldn't mind trying to get work on Service Operation Vessels (SOVs) on wind farm vessels.

What do you like doing in your free time?

I love football. I'm a big Liverpool fan and try to catch as many games as I can, unless I'm on watch! On leave, I spend as much time with my family as I can.

Tell us one thing that people may not know about you.

I was given the JW Slater Outstanding Achievement Award for 2024. I was nominated for my hard work and dedication to studying for my Officer of the Watch qualification. I was honoured to accept the award, and my family were very proud.

Is there anything else you'd like to talk about?
If anyone is unsure whether to try and study for a Certificate of Competency, or unsure whether to apply for the Slater Fund I would say definitely give it a go. I was never really good in school, and I thought I might struggle, but I was given an opportunity I didn't want to waste, and I proved that with hard work you will reap the rewards in the end.

About the Nautilus Slater Fund

The financial burden of further training posed a significant challenge to Dean. That's where the Nautilus Slater Fund stepped in, providing the crucial scholarship that allowed him to achieve his goals. Originally known as the John William Slater Memorial Fund, the unique bursary supports seafarers looking to advance their careers, whether they're ratings seeking their first Certificate of Competency or electro-technical officers and crew working on specialized vessels like superyachts and tugs.

The Slater Fund application process was straightforward - Dean completed online maths and English exams to demonstrate his academic readiness, then submitted his application form. 'I printed out my results and sent the application off, and they got back to me to say I'd been accepted,' he recalls.

Marine Society's head of seafarer learning and welfare Carla Rockson explains 'blended learning is more challenging than studying full time at college and we prefer applicants to go to college full time if they have the choice.

'We fully recognise that some seafarers can only follow this [blended] study pathway as they need to continue to work; however, this method of study takes significantly longer to complete compared to going to college full-time and requires them to have a high level of self- motivation, good time management, a commitment to self-study and to complete the course in a realistic timeframe. Few Slater recipients choose this method of study for these reasons. So, for Dean to achieve a high grade via this pathway, whilst continuing to work and raise a young family was exceptional.

'We do speak to Slater applicants choosing this study pathway, ahead of time, to ensure that they understand all the implications of choosing this pathway.'

As the maritime industry continues to evolve, the Nautilus Slater Fund remains a vital resource for seafarers like Dean, empowering them to navigate the career ladder and shape the future of the industry.

Applications are now open year-round.

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