Young people considering a career at sea have a new opportunity to explore what the yachting and maritime industries can actually offer, as the Yacht Club de Monaco launches its first ever Yachting Student Fair on 21st March.
Open from 10am to 5pm at the YCM, the free event is aimed at middle school pupils, sixth formers, further education students and graduates, and brings together training institutions, maritime organisations, yachting professionals and researchers under one roof for a day of direct conversation and discovery. Registration is required and available at the link below.
What’s on offer
The range of careers on show is broader than many might expect. The French Maritime Academy ENSM and the Nautical Institute Academy France will cover routes into careers as officers and engineers, while the Lycée Jacques Dolle d’Antibes presents its courses in nautical maintenance, electromechanics and propulsion. For those drawn to underwater work, the École Nationale des Scaphandriers will explain what a career in commercial diving involves — from welding to hyperbaric archaeological operations.
On the yachting side, YCM’s own La Belle Classe Academy, the Cluster Yachting Monaco, the Yacht Broker School, the European School of Economics and the Lycée Jeanne & Paul Augier will present courses in yacht management, brokerage and onboard hospitality. Port-related professions — from vessel traffic management to technical maintenance — will be represented by Monaco’s Department of Maritime Affairs and SEPM, the Principality’s port authority.
Monaco’s Department of National Education will also be on hand to help families navigate post-baccalaureate options and funding for further education.
Getting on board — literally
Participants will have the chance to visit yachts moored in the YCM Marina, including the 31-metre S/Y 7Continent, and meet its owner Patrick Deixonne — a navigator and founder of the 7th Continent Expedition whose career has taken him from firefighting to Amazon expeditions to rowing across the Atlantic in 2009. French explorer Luc Hardy, member of the French Explorers Society, will also be present to share his experiences in extreme environments.
The start of something bigger
The Student Fair opens four days of events dedicated to yachting, exploration and environmental engagement, organised in collaboration with The Explorers Club of New York. The programme continues on 22nd March with an immersive day focused on explorer yachts and the inauguration of the Explorer Dock, followed on 23rd March by a Day of Exploration centred on the deep sea and coral reefs. The week closes on 24th March with the 30th Captains’ Forum and the 6th YCM Explorer Awards by La Belle Classe Superyachts, with the jury chaired by Richard Wiese, President of The Explorers Club.
Entry to the Yachting Student Fair is free with registration at form.jotform.com/260483294527059.
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Photo by Monaco Life