The Under Water Centre - Fort William

[boyner]

Hey Folks,

Just wondering if any of you guys who currently work in the O&G and subsea industries have heard of or used this place?

http://www.theunderwatercentre.co.uk/index.asp

I'm just looking for a bit of first hand experience as i am considering doing one of the courses they have available..

Cheers

Boyner

[sam919]

If its ROV then your probably better saving your cash and applying for a trainee position with a company if you have a relative technical background. If you havent got a relevant technical background you go a spend loads of money on a course that your not gauranteed work at the end of (especially if you havent had any industry experiance outside ROV or with another technical area), you'll be skint and jobless. Apologies for pissing on your chips but ive met loads of people that have done courses and not got any work as they were duped into handing over the cash for essentially a half arsed course run by people that if they were any good wouldnt be working in the training shcool.

[boyner]

hi sam,

Not pissing on my chips buddy, it's better to hear it like that before making a big fiancial mistake.. I have heard similar views from others but at the same time i have heard of good things..

Cheers

Boyner

[offshorematt2]

Read an article on them in some O&G magazine (sorry, can't remember which one).

IIRC they had a 100% placement record at the time - I don't think there were that many positions available on the course but they still must have had some good contacts to manage that if true?

[Aquanaut]

Hello, i did my saturation diving course there in 2002 and it was expensive then. Cannot believe how expensive the courses are now for air and sat diving. Would recommend you check out the schools in south africa, tasmania, and Marseille (if it is diving you are interested in)

[MoreSteam]

offshorematt2 said:

Read an article on them in some O&G magazine (sorry, can't remember which one).

IIRC they had a 100% placement record at the time - I don't think there were that many positions available on the course but they still must have had some good contacts to manage that if true?

You could have shaved a monkey and got him employment at the time. I think some people did

Unfortunately, things are a bit slow at the moment so don't hold your breath for a trainee position. I think it would be well into next year before anything would come along. Don't let me put you off though. Its worth writing to the usual suspects anyway. You don't know 'til you try.

Edited by MoreSteam on Saturday 31st October 13:42

[Ug_lee]

Realistically I would concentrate on getting a trainee position within one of the main ROV companies. One trip offshore would give you more practical experience than a very expensive course flying a few eyeballs.

What is your background?

Some sort of electro/mechanical/hydraulic background is looked on favourably. If you haven't got any of them, look at some sort of college courses. I know most trainees taking on by my company have HNC in some sort of engineering minimum. It's no bearing on the standard of trainee but they can afford to be picky and use this to whittle down the many many applicants.

The industry has slowed right down at the moment, so I'm afraid it's bad timing. My company has mothballed/demobbed numerous systems including the system I was regular on. Now it's a struggle to get your days in, and you're fighting for jobs amongst a bigger pool of ROV guys.

From the few years I've been in the job I've found the industry is incredibly reactionary. One minute they are screaming for people, next they are laying them off. So things may pick up soon, who knows?

[Kiltie]

MoreSteam said:

You could have shaved a monkey and got him employment at the time.

[David Rae]

http://www.professionaldivingacademy.com/

Should try these guys at Dunoon might be able to help, I have been thinking of going to do a course and i was advised by a few friends already in the industry they are alot cheaper than fort william.

[SteveSlowboy]

We've used the faclities there and it ticked all our boxes, but as said by others, if it's diving there are other cheaper (and warmer!) options and for ROV's you really need to get in through one of the bigger ROV operators - the problem is it's quiet at the moment and I believe you now need a minimum of a degree (or HND etc) in something suitable to be considered.

But, the industry does have big ups and downs - it'll recover but probaly not until 2011. Most of the operators have learned the lessons of previous slumps (when they lost loads of experienced folk and struggled to cope for a few years until they caught up again)- and are keeping folk on retainers/ reduced rates while their vessels are tied-up for longer periods - expected to be most of 2010 acording to some industry gossip - but linked to commitments of no silly rate rises when it gets busy.....