Want to know if this job is worth applying to?
Southampton, England, United Kingdom
Onsite
Engineering Apprenticeship – Build Your Future at Sea
Get paid to qualify. Learn from the best. Launch an exciting marine engineering career.
Are you finishing school, college or looking for a career with real purpose?
Do you enjoy engineering, solving problems, and want a career that's anything but ordinary?
Join Svitzer, the world's leading towage company, and become part of a team that keeps global trade moving.
This isn't just another apprenticeship. It's the start of a career where every day is different, you'll work on powerful vessels, develop specialist engineering skills and earn recognised qualifications while getting paid.
Why Svitzer?
Our tugboats may be small, but they're among the most powerful (for their size!) and technically advanced vessels on the water.
Operating in major ports across the UK and around the world, our engineers work with sophisticated propulsion systems, high-performance machinery and innovative marine technology to safely move some of the world's largest ships.
With over 4,000 employees and a fleet of 450+ vessels worldwide, Svitzer offers career opportunities that few companies can match.
What You'll Get
✔ Fully funded Level 4 Chief Engineer (Small Vessel) qualification – full course description Small vessel chief engineer / Skills England
✔ Earn while you learn
✔ Hands-on experience alongside experienced marine engineers
✔ Work with an industry-leading company
✔ Industry recognised qualifications
✔ Career opportunities across the UK
✔ A structured pathway to becoming a qualified Chief Engineer (Small Vessel)
Your Career Journey
This apprenticeship is designed to develop the next generation of marine engineers.
Over approximately five years, you'll gain the knowledge, practical skills and sea-going experience needed to achieve:
Throughout your apprenticeship you'll combine classroom learning at Fleetwood Nautical College with real-world experience onboard our vessels.
You'll be supported every step of the way.
We're looking for people who are:
No maritime experience is needed—just the right attitude.
Entry Requirements
You'll need:
Salary & Benefits
Ready to Start Your Journey?
If you're looking for more than just a job—if you want an exciting career where you'll work with incredible technology, gain industry recognised qualifications and become part of a team that keeps the world's ports moving—this is your opportunity.
Apply today and start building your future with Svitzer.
Building a Diverse Workplace
In Svitzer we value the diversity of our talent and will always strive to recruit the best person for the job – we value diversity in all its forms, including but not limited to gender, age, nationality, race, sexual orientation, disability, or religious beliefs. We are proud of our diversity and see it as a genuine source of strength for building high performing teams.
Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that members from some under-represented groups are less likely to apply for jobs if they don’t meet every single qualification. At Svitzer we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles, and we are excited about hearing from you!
How to Apply
To apply for this role, please click on the 'Apply Now' button and create a Candidate Home to manage your applications.