The initiative involves the College engaging school pupils in short courses in seamanship and nautical studies in preparation for a 4 year Deck Cadet training course, resulting in an SQA HND in Nautical Science.

The initiative has been developed in conjunction with four Aberdeen based emergency response and rescue vessel companies; Ocean Mainport Rescue, North Star Shipping, Vroon Offshore Services and Nomis Shipping, all of whom will directly support the scheme.

Bob Sinclair, principal of Banff and Buchan College said, 'This initiative will help to address the skills gap which the industry is currently facing. Working in conjunction with local shipping companies, we are able to offer a fantastic opportunity to complete work based training which could lead the students to becoming a Mate or Master onboard one of these vessels by the time they are in their late twenties. We are grateful for the support from the companies to help us to offer excellent careers to young people in the northeast of Scotland.'

Nautical – the Next Step, has been developed by Banff and Buchan College in response to a global shortage of qualified seafarers. It will provide an opportunity for school leavers to develop professional seafaring careers, despite the reduction in the number of boats in local fishing fleets.

Stewart Stevenson MSP said, 'Those who choose to participate in the initiative will benefit greatly from achieving a modern maritime qualification which will allow young people to develop traditional seafaring skills.'

Fully approved by both the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and the Merchant Navy Training Board, the scheme will see each of the four associated companies sponsor four cadets, some of them via the SSTG (Ship Safe Training Group), by providing them with the required work based sea time necessary to complete the course.

The first course intake is scheduled for August of this year. In addition to following a career at sea, the qualification will have relevance to onshore positions including harbour masters and pilots, marine insurance, maritime lecturers and all professions which traditionally relied on seafarers and which are all now facing staff shortages due to the lack of training in recent years.