Careers
Careers opportunities for schools
Scottish Maritime Cluster Schools Outreach Programme/Maritime Toolkit
Scottish Maritime Cluster Maritime Pathways Programme
The Scottish Maritime Cluster (SMC) is continuing its Maritime Pathways Programme in 2026, building on the success of its previous schools outreach activity and expanding engagement with young people, schools and maritime organisations across Scotland.
Maritime Pathways is designed to inspire young people to consider careers in the maritime sector, strengthen links between education and industry, and help pupils understand the pathways available from school into further education, training and employment.
Through a series of interactive events, pupils have the opportunity to meet people working across the sector and take part in practical, hands-on activities that bring maritime careers to life.
For 2026, delivery is being coordinated by Vicky Sutherland, the programme’s Outreach Coordinator, working with SMC members, sponsors, schools and delivery partners across Scotland.
The first event of the new programme took place in Stornoway on 29 September 2026, engaging S2 pupils through interactive sessions and practical activities delivered by organisations including CalMac Ferries, Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL), the RNLI, the University of the Highlands and Islands and Skills Development Scotland. Initial feedback was extremely positive, with the hands-on activities proving particularly popular with pupils.
A key strength of Maritime Pathways is the involvement of employers and maritime professionals. By bringing industry directly into the programme, young people can learn about the breadth of roles available across Scotland’s maritime sector, hear first-hand what different careers involve and better understand the skills and routes that could take them into the industry.
Building on previous success
The current programme builds on the substantial outreach activity undertaken in previous years. The programme was originally developed following funding secured from the Department for Transport’s Cluster Development Fund in December 2024, which enabled SMC to establish a coordinated schools outreach programme and supporting maritime careers resources.
During 2025/26, almost 2,000 S3 pupils engaged with Maritime Pathways, learning more about the wide range of careers and opportunities available across the maritime sector. The positive response from pupils, schools, volunteers and industry partners provided a strong foundation for the programme to return for a second year and continue to broaden its reach.
SMC is grateful for the continued support of its members, sponsors and partners, whose participation is central to making Maritime Pathways possible.
Get involved
We are always keen to hear from maritime businesses, industry professionals, education partners and others who would like to support Maritime Pathways, contribute to future events or help showcase the career opportunities available across Scotland’s maritime sector.
If you would like to get involved or find out more about Maritime Pathways, please get in touch with the Scottish Maritime Cluster team.
Maritime Toolkit for Schools
Scotland has a big future in maritime, and we need a new generation of people to help us build it.
That’s where this toolkit comes in! It’s been created to help young people like you learn more about the exciting world of maritime: the jobs, the technology, the travel, and the future opportunities waiting to be discovered.
Whether you’re picking your subjects, thinking about your next steps, or starting to explore your interests, this guide is here to show you what’s possible. From captaining a ferry to programming underwater robots, there’s something for everyone in the maritime sector.
This toolkit is packed with real-life stories, facts, challenges and ideas to help you imagine your future.
And if you’re a teacher, it’s full of classroom-ready materials that support lessons and conversations about careers, the economy and more.
Check out our toolkit below and see where your maritime future might lead!
SMC Schools STEM Event
Showcasing Innovation and Opportunity in Scotland’s Maritime Sector
The SMC Maritime STEM Event for Schools took place on Tuesday, 26th November 2024, at the Glasgow Science Centre. Led by the SMC and generously sponsored by the Royal Navy, the event aimed to highlight the diverse range of STEM applications within the Scottish maritime industry.
Throughout the day, exhibitors displayed their pioneering STEM technologies tailored for the maritime sector. This initiative supported the central purpose of promoting STEM within education and inspired young minds to consider maritime STEM as a career. Schools were invited to attend, giving students a unique opportunity to engage directly with the industry.
The event’s primary objective was to encourage students to view maritime STEM as a viable and exciting career path. A secondary goal was to provide a high-profile platform for SMC members and the broader Scottish maritime industry to showcase key technologies, share best practices, enhance company profiles, generate new business opportunities, and build valuable connections with other professionals.
If successful, organisers noted that this conference could become an annual fixture within the maritime community.
The conference featured a rich and varied programme, including engaging talks, dynamic demonstrations, and a wide array of exhibitors. Key topics addressed at the event included recent naval engineering advancements, the development and management of ports and vessels, apprenticeship opportunities, and comprehensive careers advice. The agenda also explored innovative marine technologies, sustainable practices within the industry, and showcased state-of-the-art maritime equipment.
Students benefited from networking with leading industry professionals, learning from top-tier experts, and exploring a variety of potential career paths in the maritime sector. The event proved to be an enlightening and collaborative experience for all involved, fostering a spirit of innovation and partnership throughout the Scottish maritime community.
The Scottish Maritime industry is a multi-million pound sector with a variety of different specialisms and skills. Our members have a variety of employment opportunities, please follow the links below to see their latest requirements.
Careers
Additional Resources
Onboard Maritime: Interactive Training Ship Demo
Explore a custom version of Onboard Maritime’s Interactive training ship designed for schools and careers fairs!
The Interactive Training Ship is a free, downloadable experience designed to help schools and youth groups bring maritime careers to life. It was created for careers fairs, classroom sessions, talks and maritime awareness days, and is ideal for careers advisers, teachers, STEM leads, youth leaders, and anyone delivering outreach linked to commercial vessel operations. It gives young people a simple way to explore what a working ship looks like and how different areas fit together — from the bridge and accommodation to the deck and engine room.
The Free Roam scenario lets users move around the ship at their own pace, making them ideal for presenters who want to guide a group and point out areas of interest while discussing shipboard roles and operations. The Missions are more game-like and work well for students to try independently: they include a 10-minute challenge with a leaderboard, where students can see how many tasks they complete and how quickly they finish all four missions (kenter shackle, ballast pump, hazard inspection, and bridge equipment knowledge). To run the experience smoothly, you’ll need a computer with a dedicated graphics card.
This version includes:
- Kenter Shackle Disassembly
- Ballast Pump Assembly
- Bridge Identification
- Galley Hazards Perception
Maritime UK Updates
20 May 2026, 11 – 12pm
World Boating Day: Women in Maritime
You and your students are invited to take part in this special World Boating Day virtual event. Inspire your learners as they hear from women leading the way in marine engineering, ship operations, ocean science, sustainability, and more. This session will help students:
• Explore diverse maritime career pathways
• Challenge gender stereotypes
• Connect STEM and vocational learning to real-world opportunities
Give your students the chance to discover a future on and beyond the water. This session is suitable for Year 9 and above students.
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21 May 2026, 9:30 – 10:30am
World Boating Day: Amazing Women at Sea
Join us in this special World Boating Day virtual session, designed to inspire young learners with stories of amazing women who work at sea, from ship captains and engineers to ocean explorers and environmental heroes.
This fun, engaging event will help children:
• Discover exciting jobs on and around the ocean
• Learn about real-life role models
• Build curiosity, confidence, and big dreams for the future
Set sail on a journey of inspiration and show your pupils that anyone can make waves! This event is designed for Year 5 and 6 pupils.
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Maritime UK Maritime Masters Programme
The 2025/26 Maritime Masters Programme has been expanded in scope to include projects from undergraduate, MA, and PhD students. For the purposes of fairness undergraduate and MA students will be judged against their peers and we have decided the most effective way to achieve this is to create 2 additional categories; undergraduate and MA. Entries for these categories can be from any of the topic areas below but, as with the other projects, must be drawn either from the list of industry topics or be their own topic proposals which are within the scope of maritime
The 2025/26 Maritime Masters will also see the inclusion of categories for the first time and, in addition to the undergraduate and MA categories, these are; Law, Engineering, Naval Architecture, Insurance/Business Management, and Emerging Technologies. As in previous years, universities are only permitted to put forward 1 project for each category and the deadline for submissions will be Monday the 31st of August 2026.
Industry seminars will take place in January 2026, March 2026, and May 2026. The dates and topics for the seminars are below, all will be hybrid events and hosted by Clarksons who are one of the sponsors for the programme. The sessions will run from 17:30 – 19:00 with networking opportunities afterwards for those attending in person. Full details of the seminars and a form to register will be circulated shortly.
Thursday the 29th of January – Green – More Information and Registration
Thursday the 26th of March – Digital
Thursday the 14th of May – Global Tensions