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Deckhands work on fishing boats and trawlers. They operate and maintain fishing gear, nets and lines, and process catches as they're taken in.
You could work: evenings / weekends / bank holidays; away from home
There will be
2.2% fewer Fishing boat deckhand jobs in 2029.
In your local area
As a fishing boat deckhand, you'll:
You may land catches at the end of each day, or spend several days at sea, fishing deeper waters, offshore.
You may need to wear protective clothing.
You could work on a boat.
Your working environment may be physically demanding, outdoors in all weathers, cramped and you may spend nights away from home.
You can get into this job through:
You may be able to do a course in maritime studies at a fishing industry training college. Once complete, you could apply for work as a trainee deckhand on a fishing vessel.
On a course, you'll learn:
You'll also get training in sea safety and first aid.
You could apply to do a Fisher Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship.
This apprenticeship can take up to 2 years to complete.
It combines training at sea with onshore study at a college or learning provider.
You could also apply for a place on a Ship's Master Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship, if you want to train to become a skipper. This apprenticeship takes around 4 years.
If you have experience of working or training on ships or boats, and the correct safety certificates, you may be able to find work. You could contact vessel skippers directly or fishing crew agencies, and train on the job.
You may be able to do the Introduction to Commercial Fishing course, which is backed by Seafish, who support the UK's fishing industry.
The course is for anyone looking to work on a commercial vessel. It covers basic industry skills and knowledge, along with 4 mandatory training units that you'll need to work onboard a boat:
You'll need to:
You'll need to be willing to move if necessary, as approved training centres are located near to established fishing ports around the country.
You can find more information about careers in the fishing industry from Seafish.
With experience, you could work towards becoming a skipper, with overall responsibility for:planning trips and organising supplies; navigating to fishing grounds; selling catches to wholesalers and customers; managing crew and vessel safety
You could use your experience to move into jobs like harbour tug work and port operations, or take up a career in the Merchant Navy.
You could also train in mechanical, electrical or marine engineering, and become an engineer on a fishing vessel or other type of marine craft.