Hearing at first hand about a young engineer’s life in the marine industry can often be a vital first step in helping a school student take the decision to following in his or her footsteps.
James Goodship, who is a 23-year old graduate engineer now working at VT Shipbuilding in Portsmouth Naval Base, set out to inspire 14-16 year olds who took part in a “City and Sea” course held under the auspices of the Chamber of Shipping in London on 21 August.
James, who is the Young Members Network (YMN) Co-ordinator for the Southern Joint Branch of the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST) gave a presentation on his career development, including his path through education; covering the supporting role and networking that the IMarEST YMN can play; and then reviewing some of the interesting projects in which he has been involved, such as the T45 Bow currently being built by VT; as well the future aircraft carrier and offshore patrol vessels they will be building in the future.
“I completed a BTEC National Diploma in Marine Studies at Falmouth Marine School before attending Plymouth University to study Marine Technology with a sandwich placement,” he explains. “There’s not a great awareness of college study for maritime courses at the likes of Falmouth Marine School and Warsash Maritime College, so I pointed the way there.
“Personal development is very important to me and, since I graduated, I have made every effort to give younger people an insight into the marine industry and to share my experiences through university and taking the early steps in my career. It can be hard being a student in such a specific are of engineering but once networking links are established it makes life so much easier. I enjoy being the first link in a networking chain that will be of great help to these students now, when they are deciding on study routes, and later on in their academic and business lives.
“I enjoy working with school students as I was a practical person when younger, but didn’t have the opportunity to really have ‘hands on’ experience until I went to college. I am passionate about what I do, and aim to help make it easier for potential young marine engineers to learn about the marine industry through the IMarEST Young Members Network. Working on behalf of VT Shipbuilding and IMarEST, I have been involved with Young Engineers, the Smallpiece Trust, Education & Business Partnership, and directly with schools. The “City and Sea” course was another key step in spreading the word and showing how supportive those of us already in the maritime industry can be.”
“As an Institute, we are extremely lucky to be able to call on the services of such committed young members as James Goodship,” says IMarEST’s chief executive, Keith Read CBE. “There is no doubt at all, that an inspirational young engineer can be a vital tool in helping to encourage those a few years younger to follow in his or her footsteps. “We are delighted to hear that James had a highly stimulating and successful day.”
Further information on IMarEST’s Young Members Network can be found at http://www.imarest.org/ymn/
