Marine Society

Non-profit services to seafarers and shore-based maritime professionals globally.
The Marine Society was the world's first seafarers' charity. It was founded in London in 1756, and is still fulfilling its original objectives, with many more added over 256 years.

Learning provision
The Marine Society provides a range of services to maritime professionals to enhance learning and well being, and to facilitate personal and professional development. No organisation has more experience of delivering high-quality, flexible learning at sea or of placing the well-being of seafarers first.

It manages and co-ordinates quality training programmes from mainstream providers for delivery to maritime professionals. It does this direct to the individual as well as via employer stakeholder engagement.

Its offer includes tutor-supported distance learning in a broad range of subjects and levels to suit all ages, abilities and aspirations - from basic literacy and numeracy through to postgraduate qualifications tailored for the maritime professional. It enters seafarers for examinations and arranges for them to be conducted at sea.

It works closely with a range of mainstream quality providers to ensure seafarers can benefit from the provision on offer:


 * There's a long-standing partnership with The Open University which offers underpinning support for its courses, including exams at sea.
 * A successful partnership with Middlesex University introduced Work-Based Learning degrees to the maritime sector. Over 600 maritime professionals have taken advantage of this cost effective opportunity to gain the academic currency they deserve without the need to attend a college. There's BA/BSc, MA/MSc and MBA programme on offer.
 * The Marine Society also offers E-learning programmes. Maths@Sea provides up-skilling in the basics in a marine contextualised format. It's aimed at ratings who seek advancement to officer but is also popular as a refresher course in functional maths for others. It was a finalist in the 2012 Seatrade Awards.

Financial support
Financial support for professional development provides financial underpinning support for study through scholarship programmes. Marine Society administers the J W Slater Scholarship Scheme that offers £16,000 scholarships to assist ratings make the transition to officer. There are also other scholarships and interest-free loans on offer providing support for professional development (UK seafarers only).

Advice and Guidance
The Marine Society is widely acknowledged as the preeminent provider of independent advice and guidance to maritime professionals. It deals with 6,500 enquiries annually, and responds to each with a personal and authoritative reply. It holds the coveted Matrix Standard accreditation from the UK Government for the provision of advice and guidance in the workplace.

Crew Library Service
A crew books service provides for hundreds of vessels globally. Libraries are tailored to suit the requirements and tastes of those onboard. The service is an easy and cheap way to promote crew well-being, helps with the use of English, and contributes to a corporate safety strategy by providing the means to relax at sea. The Marine Society's crew book service also helps ship operators to meet their commitments under the Maritime Labour Convention. Contact us.

Bookselling
The Marine Society is also a bookseller. It is an authorised distributor for the IMO. Any book or publication in print can be obtained quickly and despatched in any format and quantity. Prices are competitive, and any surplus generated goes to support the charitable objectives. Online bookshop.

Links
Marine Society website

Online bookshop

Maths@Sea e-learning course

Open University for maritime professionals

Work-based learning degree programmes for maritime professionals

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Marine Society history

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