Training for a career as a Royal Navy officer, you will gain military and maritime skills as well as spending time at sea learning how warships operate
All Royal Navy officers begin their career at Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC) in Dartmouth. They spend 30 training weeks here, with the course split into two distinct phases: militarisation and marinisation. You can be sure your mind and body will be put to the test. There will be academic studies and exams to pass, physical challenges to tackle and practical exercises on Dartmoor and the River Dart where you’ll have to put into practice everything you have learned. There are also three weeks at sea on an operational warship.
During the 20-week marinisation phase, you’ll build and be tested on the skills you learned during militarisation—and applying them to a maritime environment. To start with, you will receive tuition on topics such as strategic studies and maritime operations. You will then spend three weeks at sea on an operational warship. You will learn everything, from the fundamentals such as on-board safety, fire fighting, damage control drills and how to use all the sea survival equipment, to working in every department on board, learning how they operate and how they contribute to the ship as a whole. This is invaluable first-hand experience of life on a warship, which will give you the foundation skills you need for your first job as a qualified officer. There are two oral assessments and one written assessment, which you’ll need to pass before you head back to BRNC.
You will then go on to spend a lot of time on the River Dart, learning boat handling skills in the college’s motor whaler and picket boats. Like the first 10 weeks, you’ll be put to the test during an assessed four-day basic maritime skills exercise that includes boat handling in scenarios simulating disaster relief and combat situations. They’re your chance to show more highly developed command and leadership skills. Succeed, and you will hone your ceremonial marching and drill for your passing-out parade where you officially become a Royal Navy officer.
Visit www.royalnavy.mod.uk/careers to find out more about an apprenticeship with the Royal Navy
