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Marine Surveyor

Occupational profile

This occupation is found in the commercial and leisure maritime sectors, including maritime regulators, classification societies, small commercial vessel certifying authorities, port authorities, marine insurers, brokers and consultancy companies, including large, medium-sized and small employers. The broad purpose of the occupation is to provide independent verification, by close inspection or examination of a ship or other vessel, its structure, machinery, systems and equipment, to ensure that the subject ship or vessel complies with established and known standards of, and regulations for: construction, stability, outfitting, equipping, safety and operation.

The purpose of the marine survey may be to establish the condition and value of the ship or vessel (or parts or damage or repairs thereto), but also the ship's or other vessel's suitability and fitness for proceeding to sea, including - where required - appropriate certification for same. In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with a wide range of marine professionals, including: the Master (Captain), Chief Engineer and crews of ships or other subject vessels; client or subject company representatives (such as Marine Superintendents, Brokers, Administrators and Managers); maritime regulators (such as Maritime and Coastguard Agency officials, Classification Society officials, naval architects and marine engineers and Certifying Authority specialists); insurance loss adjusters; and commercial or private clients and their representatives, including lawyers. While much of the planning for a survey is undertaken in an office environment, the surveys themselves are undertaken onboard the subject ship or other vessel, either in port (alongside a quayside or in a dry dock) or - from time-to-time - underway at sea.

A Marine Surveyor is expected to maintain a level of personal drive and fitness to work outside in all weathers, and to inspect all parts of a ship or small vessel, including safe working at heights and in confined spaces. An employee in this occupation will be responsible for providing professional services of expert survey (close examination and inspection for verification of standards) of ships or other vessels, including planning for and safe conduct of the survey itself, and production and presentation of written and oral reports of the survey's results and outcomes, including high-quality documents that will provide evidence, imagery, conclusions, recommendations and, where required by the purpose, relevant valuations.

A Marine Surveyor may work alone, jointly with equivalent Surveyors for other interested parties, or in company with other surveyors for whom she or he could be responsible. Working to the instructions provided and from her or his own professional knowledge, the Marine Surveyor will have significant autonomy for the planning, sufficient and safe conduct and reporting of the survey. In conduct of a survey, the Marine Surveyor may have to manage work in way or wake undertaken by others, including ship's staff or technical contractors.

Developing an apprenticeship standard

Each apprenticeship standard is created by ‘Trailblazer’ groups of employers, interested in the occupation under development. These employer groups work together to develop the standard and the associated assessment plan. There are a number of stages to the process of developing a standard, and each stage is approved by the Institute for Apprenticeships (IFA).

First, an ‘expression of interest’ (EOI) is submitted for approval, describing the occupation and the duties involved. Next, the apprenticeship standard is developed, detailing the knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs) required to become fully competent in the occupation. Finally, an assessment plan is created which describes the assessment methods to be used for each of the KSBs listed. Once all of these stages have been approved, the IFA allocates a funding band for the standard and the standard is ready to use.

Marine Surveyor standard is now fully approved and ready for delivery.