Marine & Watersports Work Experience for Years 10, 11, 12 and 13 Students
Chieftain Training and the Southampton Water Activity Centre (SWAC) regularly dozens if requests from young people looking for work experience in watersports, outdoor education and the marine industry.
We are pleased to support work experience where we can, particularly for students in Years 10, 11, 12 and 13 who are considering careers connected with watersports, boating, outdoor education, marine training or the wider maritime sector.
However, we receive considerably more requests than the number of placements we can safely and meaningfully accommodate.
For that reason, we cannot accept every application.
Who Do We Prioritise?
When choosing students for work experience, we normally give priority to applicants who already have some connection with Chieftain Training or SWAC.
For example, this might mean:
- You have previously completed a course or activity with us.
- A member of your family is an existing or previous customer.
- Your school or college regularly trains or undertakes activities with us.
- You are a member of a club, organisation or group which uses our facilities.
- You have otherwise had some previous involvement with Chieftain Training or Southampton Water Activity Centre.
Having an existing connection does not guarantee a placement, but where we have more applications than spaces available, it is likely to influence our decision.
You Need to Be Interested in What We Do
Our work experience placements are most suitable for young people who have already demonstrated some interest in watersports, powerboating or the marine environment.
You certainly do not need to be an expert.
You do not even necessarily need to hold formal boating qualifications.
We are, however, much more likely to offer a placement to somebody who can demonstrate a genuine interest in activities such as:
- Sailing
- Powerboating
- Paddleboarding
- Kayaking or canoeing
- Windsurfing
- Personal Watercraft / PWCs
- Marine engineering
- Outdoor education
- Maritime careers
- Search and rescue
- Commercial or leisure boating
That interest might have come through a school, Scout or Guide group, sailing club, cadets, family boating, previous courses or simply through activities you have pursued yourself.
If your main reason for applying is simply because your school has told you that you need to find somewhere for work experience, we are probably not the right placement for you.
What Will I Actually Do?
This is work experience, rather than a watersports course.
You will be joining a busy working marine training centre and seeing what goes on behind the scenes as well as what happens on the water.
Depending on your age, experience, the programme running during your placement and the weather, you might spend time helping our team with:
- Preparing boats and equipment
- Launching and recovering craft
- Checking and cleaning equipment
- Preparing buoyancy aids, wetsuits and sailing equipment
- Supporting instructors before and after courses
- General site and waterfront duties
- Basic boat and equipment maintenance
- Course preparation
- Stores and equipment management
- Customer service
- Administration
- Observing training sessions
- Learning about safety procedures and risk management
- Understanding how a professional watersports centre operates
There may be opportunities to spend time afloat, but being on work experience does not automatically mean you will be taking part in watersports every day.
Some of the most useful experience may be ashore, helping our team prepare boats, maintain equipment and understand how a professional training centre works.
Year 10 and Year 11 Work Experience
We welcome applications from Year 10 and Year 11 students, particularly where work experience is being organised through their school.
Government guidance places increasing emphasis on meaningful, in-person workplace experience during Years 10 and 11.
Because students of this age may still be of compulsory school age, there are additional considerations around the activities they can undertake, supervision, safeguarding and health and safety.
For school-organised placements, we will normally expect the school to remain involved in arranging and approving the placement.
Year 12 and Year 13 Work Experience
We also welcome applications from Year 12 and Year 13 students.
At this age, placements can sometimes include greater involvement in the day-to-day operation of the centre, depending upon the student’s previous experience, maturity and qualifications.
Students considering careers in areas such as:
- Outdoor education
- Watersports instruction
- The Merchant Navy
- Emergency services
- Search and rescue
- Superyachts
- Commercial marine operations
- Marine engineering
- Leisure marine
- Maritime training
may find a placement particularly useful.
For students already holding RYA, Paddle UK or similar qualifications, there may also be opportunities to see how those qualifications are used within a professional training centre.
Safety and the Law
A watersports centre is a working environment involving boats, vehicles, slipways, water, machinery and specialist equipment.
Young people on work experience are therefore treated as part of our workplace from a health and safety perspective. Employers have responsibility for providing a safe working environment, suitable induction, training and supervision. Activities must also be appropriate for the student’s age, experience and capability. Particular consideration has to be given to risks affecting anyone under 18.
For this reason, not every activity undertaken by our adult staff will be suitable for a work experience student.
The activities we allow you to undertake will depend on factors including:
- Your age
- Previous experience
- Qualifications
- Physical capability
- The activity taking place
- Weather conditions
- The level of supervision available
- Our risk assessments and operating procedures
Safety will always take priority over providing a particular experience.
Work Experience Is Not Employment
School and college work experience is intended to give young people experience of a genuine workplace and help them understand possible careers. A normal short school work-experience placement is not the same as being employed by Chieftain Training.
If you are looking for paid seasonal work, an apprenticeship or employment, please contact us separately rather than applying through the work-experience route.
Where Can Placements Take Place?
Most school work-experience placements will be based at the:
Southampton Water Activity Centre (SWAC), Floating Bridge Rd, Southampton, SO14 3FX
SWAC is our main watersports centre and delivers sailing, powerboating, windsurfing and paddlesports alongside a wide range of other marine activities. We also operate our Chieftain Training centre in Hamble, where much of our professional shorebased and maritime training takes place. Depending upon the dates and nature of the placement, a student may occasionally have the opportunity to see both sides of the organisation.
How Long Are Placements?
Most school work-experience placements are approximately 1 or 2 weeks but they can be shorter or longer
We may consider shorter or longer placements for Year 12 and Year 13 students where there is a clear reason for doing so. Availability varies considerably throughout the year. May to July is a popular time.
How to Apply
Email recruitment@cheiftain.training . Please do not simply ask: “Do you have any work experience?” Tell us a little about yourself. Your emial should include:
- Your name
- Your age and school year
- Your school or college
- The dates you are looking for
- Your connection, if any, with Chieftain Training or SWAC
- Your previous watersports or boating experience
- Any relevant qualifications
- The marine, watersports or outdoor activities that interest you
- Why you would like to undertake work experience with us
- Any particular career you are considering
A short email written by the student themselves will normally make a much better impression than an email written entirely by a parent or AI
Please Apply Early
We receive a large number of work-experience enquiries and only have a limited number of suitable places.
Schools also frequently choose the same weeks for their work-experience programmes, meaning demand can be particularly high on certain dates.
We therefore recommend contacting us as early as possible.
We will always try to support enthusiastic young people interested in our industry, but unfortunately we cannot promise a placement to everyone who applies.