Ship captain to maritime instructor
A ship captain already meets 28% of what the maritime instructor role asks for. The move turns on 16 required skills not yet in the profile.
72.8/ 100
1 How much of what a maritime instructor is expected to do is already part of a ship captain’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the maritime instructor role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A maritime instructor role treats 6 of its required skills as things a ship captain already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- Global Maritime Distress and Safety System
- geographic areas
- international regulations for preventing collisions at sea
- operate marine communication systems
- stay up-to-date with maritime transportation technology
- vessel safety equipment
What stands in the way is 16 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 13 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A maritime instructor role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a ship captain background worth leading with.
- already held operate mechanical equipment of ships working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held plot shipping navigation routes working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held supervise movement of crew management skills
- already held supervise movement of passengers management skills
- already held operate marine communication systems working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held ensure vessel security information skills
All 13 carried skills, including the 6 the maritime instructor role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 31 missing skills fall into 11 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn teach boating principles required
- still to learn adapt teaching to student's capabilities required
- still to learn apply intercultural teaching strategies required
- still to learn apply teaching strategies required
- still to learn assist students in their learning required
- still to learn give constructive feedback required
- still to learn prepare lesson content required
- optional, not held provide lesson materials optional
- still to learn distinguish various types of ships required
- still to learn analyse weather forecast required
- still to learn monitor developments in field of expertise required
- optional, not held use meteorological information optional
- optional, not held adapt training to labour market optional
- optional, not held conduct on board safety inspections optional
- still to learn assessment processes required
- still to learn curriculum objectives required
- optional, not held learning difficulties optional
- still to learn assess students required
- optional, not held facilitate teamwork between students optional
- optional, not held manage resources for educational purposes optional
- optional, not held perform classroom management optional
- still to learn recognise abnormalities on board required
- optional, not held prepare lifeboats optional
- optional, not held guide ships into docks optional
- still to learn guarantee students' safety required
- optional, not held assist in maritime rescue operations optional
5 further areas in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a maritime instructor role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 distinguish various types of ships practise this
- 02 recognise abnormalities on board practise this
- 03 teach boating principles practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 13 skills that carry over
- already held Global Maritime Distress and Safety System knowledge
- already held geographic areas knowledge
- already held international regulations for preventing collisions at sea knowledge
- already held operate marine communication systems skill
- already held stay up-to-date with maritime transportation technology skill
- already held vessel safety equipment knowledge
- already held International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships knowledge
- already held ensure vessel security skill
- already held operate mechanical equipment of ships skill
- already held plot shipping navigation routes skill
- already held supervise movement of crew skill
- already held supervise movement of passengers skill
- already held use water navigation devices skill
The 5 learning areas not shown above
- still to learn health and safety measures in transportation required
- optional, not held customer service optional
- optional, not held teamwork principles optional
- optional, not held prepare deck equipment optional
- optional, not held work with virtual learning environments optional
15 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held assist in maritime rescue operations optional
- optional, not held customer service optional
- optional, not held facilitate teamwork between students optional
- optional, not held manage resources for educational purposes optional
- optional, not held prepare deck equipment optional
- optional, not held prepare lifeboats optional
- optional, not held use meteorological information optional
- optional, not held adapt training to labour market optional
- optional, not held conduct on board safety inspections optional
- optional, not held guide ships into docks optional
- optional, not held learning difficulties optional
- optional, not held perform classroom management optional
- optional, not held provide lesson materials optional
- optional, not held teamwork principles optional
- optional, not held work with virtual learning environments optional
27 held skills the maritime instructor role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role analyse work-related written reports skill
- not needed by the target role apply transportation management concepts skill
- not needed by the target role assess vessel status skill
- not needed by the target role carry out navigational calculations skill
- not needed by the target role communicate mooring plans skill
- not needed by the target role comply with checklists skill
- not needed by the target role conduct water navigation skill
- not needed by the target role create solutions to problems skill
- not needed by the target role deal with challenging work conditions skill
- not needed by the target role ensure ongoing compliance with regulations skill
- not needed by the target role ensure public safety and security skill
- not needed by the target role follow verbal instructions skill
- not needed by the target role freight transport methods knowledge
- not needed by the target role maintain voyage logs skill
- not needed by the target role manage ocean-going oil tankers skill
- not needed by the target role manage staff skill
- not needed by the target role prepare transportation routes skill
- not needed by the target role principles of mechanical engineering knowledge
- not needed by the target role secure ships using rope skill
- not needed by the target role steer vessels skill
- not needed by the target role supervise crew skill
- not needed by the target role supervise loading of cargo skill
- not needed by the target role supervise unloading of cargo skill
- not needed by the target role types of maritime vessels knowledge
- not needed by the target role use maritime English skill
- not needed by the target role vessel points of sail knowledge
- not needed by the target role warehouse operations knowledge
6 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn assessment processes required
- still to learn curriculum objectives required
- still to learn health and safety measures in transportation required
- optional, not held customer service optional
- optional, not held learning difficulties optional
- optional, not held teamwork principles optional
Common questions about this move
Can a ship captain become a maritime instructor?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A ship captain already covers 28% of what a maritime instructor is expected to do: 13 skills carry over, 6 of which the maritime instructor role treats as required.
What skills does a ship captain need to become a maritime instructor?
16 required skills are missing, plus 15 optional ones. They fall into 11 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is distinguish various types of ships.
How hard is the move from ship captain to maritime instructor?
Its learning distance is 72.8 out of 100, which is the substantial band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.