MARINER James Nicolson is preparing for the biggest break in his career – as the second officer on Craig Group’s newest vessel, Grampian Talisker, which is due into service later this year.
This is apparently a career development that Nicolson, 26, never thought possible at his age, and he hopes it will help encourage others to consider seagoing careers aboard offshore support vessels.
He said: “I have always been determined to have a career at sea, but when I left school, it was a relatively declining industry. But times are changing again and there is a real future in seafaring.
“We need young people coming into the industry because there’s a real skills gap.”
Nicolson credits Craig Group unit North Star Shipping for the quality of its cadet training programme and said it had been crucial in helping him to progress his career so quickly.
North Star, headed by Callum Bruce, manages and operates the Craig Group’s fleet of offshore support vessels, providing platform supply, remotely-operated vehicle (ROV) survey and emergency response.
Nicolson, who hails from Aith, in Shetland, said: “I was working for Shetland Islands Council on the local ferries when an Officer Watch course was launched at Scalloway College.
“I needed sponsorship and was lucky to be offered this by North Star Shipping in 2004.
“That chance has proved very important for the progression of my career because it has opened up a whole new lot of opportunities.
“Being seconded to the Talisker, a brand new vessel, makes it even more worthwhile because you know you’re working your way up towards the top.”