After successful trials throughout the UK, a new online volunteer enrolment form has been launched nationally by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). 

With a tap or click of a mouse, applicants can access the form online to complete at home or on the go and submit on any internet-enabled device, including smartphones. 

It is the first MCA project to benefit from the government's new digital form-builder, GOV.UK Forms, launched this year by the Government Digital Service, part of the Cabinet Office. 

Coastguard Rescue Officers (CROs) undertake lifesaving search and rescue activities all around the UK coastline in diverse environments including mud, cliffs and water.  

As members of Coastguard Rescue Teams, they work closely with the other emergency services and volunteer organisations. As a volunteer role, attendance as a CRO is quite flexible. Full training and kit are provided. 

Virginia McVea, Chief Executive of the MCA, said: "Coastguard Rescue Officers are the lifeblood of our service, ready 24/7 to go to the aid of people around the UK. 

“Working with the Government Digital Service, we’ve put enrolment online to make it easier for people to apply for such a rewarding role and to maintain the strength of our response. 

"Becoming a CRO means joining a close-knit team who enjoy camaraderie, personal development and the satisfaction of making a lifesaving difference.” 

The digital enrolment form rolls out nationally on 1st November. 

To apply to become a volunteer Coastguard Rescue Officer, visit www.gov.uk/volunteer-as-a-coastguard   

Main picture: stock image

You’re probably already thinking about the kind of job you’d like to do, and there is a big choice of opportunities at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). 

We’re a government organisation which includes HM Coastguard, which runs the UK’s search and rescue operation by the coast and at sea and employs more than 1,000 people at locations from Falmouth in Cornwall to Prestwick in the Shetland Islands. 

Ben Madgwick (21) recalled his own five-year journey from GCSE results day to becoming a Senior Maritime Operations Officer with the MCA, helping to manage emergency responses from the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Fareham. 

He said: “Don't worry too much about specific maritime experience – you’re taught everything you need to know, and you will likely have a lot of transferable skills from your hobbies or school studies that the MCA is looking for. 

“Even if you don’t know what your long-term goal is, a career in the emergency services, like HM Coastguard, is very rewarding. It’s a great feeling to know you’re making a difference and helping to save people’s lives.   

“There are lots of opportunities for progression in the MCA and across the maritime sector. When I joined HM Coastguard straight out of college aged 18, I never imagined that just over two years later I would be running the operations room covering an area of responsibility across the south coast and North Atlantic which is nearly 500 miles of coast and 1.2-million square miles of sea.” 

Our top tips  

If you’re looking at your GCSE results and wondering if a maritime career might one day be for you, here are some of our top tips: 

Jobs on land, sea and air 

Reckon the maritime sector is just about boats? Think again! Another top tip is to consider the array of roles that an organisation might offer.  

At the MCA, for example, we have jobs as varied as the situations we deal with. It’s not just the frontline rescue and coordination roles with HM Coastguard, we also have jobs in IT, communications, finance, HR, policy-making, and much more.  

Civil Service apprenticeships 

The MCA is part of the Civil Service, made up of thousands of people working in government departments and public agencies all around the UK that help to keep the country running.  

You could join the Civil Service through an apprenticeship: a paid position learning the ropes for a professional accreditation.  

The MCA offers apprenticeships for people already employed here but in other Civil Service branches you could start with an apprenticeship first as a route to landing a job.  

In 2022 over 8,000 people started an apprenticeship qualification in the Civil Service. You can find out more here.

Qualification questions 

You might not be planning to go to university, but that doesn’t close the door on a high-flying career at the MCA. 

Entry-level jobs include joining HM Coastguard and training to help run lifesaving operations from our Maritime Rescue Coordination Centres around the UK.  

From there, anything is possible. 

Other entry-level roles around the organisation are at the Registry of Shipping and Seaman in Cardiff and the Seafarer Training and Certification Branch in Southampton. There is also further training available to expand your skills towards new opportunities. 

A warm welcome 

When you think of who works in the maritime industry, does a particular type of person spring to mind?  

If so, don’t be deterred. Things have changed and at the MCA we welcome applications from all communities, and we don’t discriminate. Our last top tip is to forget the stereotypes – we’re interested to hear from you, regardless of your background. 

• To see the kind of jobs currently on offer at the MCA, click here. 

On Sunday, we watched the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s principal surveyor Chris detain a foreign-flagged vessel after his inspection identified numerous defects impacting on the safety of those onboard. 

Did you miss Sunday's episode? Catch up with 5 On Demand and read our additional content here.

The inspection followed a complaint made by a maritime pilot about the safety of the pilot ladder on board. 

It is a complaint the agency takes extremely seriously, as the outcome of a safety breach on a pilot ladder can be fatal. 

Unless you work in the industry or know of someone who does, what is required of our seafarers is not always obvious – the documentary is a rare chance to give the public a glimpse of behind-the-scenes. One of the roles that support our seafarers could even be your calling. 

So, what is required of the crew onboard and how does the MCA help with this? 

All seafarers need training and require evidence that they have received this training before they are allowed to work onboard a vessel in UK waters. One of the tasks Chris carried out is a full check of the certificates of the crew onboard, to ensure they were up to date and suitable to work onboard. 

If they are not, a vessel will not pass its inspection and valuable time and money could be lost. 

The Seafarer Operations team

The Seafarer Operations team at the MCA are a customer facing team where the main focus is ensuring the qualifications held by seafarers are valid and meet the standards required to comply with the relevant legislation. The team are also responsible for issuing certificates to seafarers in a timely manner to ensure they can work on board ships, protecting the livelihoods of Seafarers. 

Certification Officers primarily process applications from seafarers for approved maritime examinations, which result in Certificates of Competency being issued.  These certificates allow a seafarer to work onboard. They also issue other maritime certificates and are a key contact for customers and shipping companies, giving relevant advice and assistance. 

Being a Certifications Officer is an important role within the agency, and within the maritime community. 

There are a number of roles currently open within the area and if you have seen the documentary and are thinking that a life in the maritime industry might be for you, then have a look and consider an application. 

Full details here.

“I was concerned, really really concerned for him – he was such a lovely man who had gone for a walk, taken a wrong turn and suddenly found himself in deep trouble.”

Rachel is one of our Maritime Operations Officers in the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) at Fareham, Hampshire and it is her job to coordinate maritime search and rescue incidents, while also answering the 999 calls that come into HM Coastguard’s operations rooms.

Viewers met her on Sunday (2 July), in the first episode of behind-the-scenes documentary Coastguard on Channel 5, as she worked alongside colleagues to reassure the gentleman stuck in the mud as the temperature dropped and his condition deteriorated.

And they want to know more about our control room staff.

This incident is just a glimpse into the daily challenges faced by our dedicated staff in operations rooms nationwide. They go above and beyond, putting every second to good use in order to save lives at sea.

Maritime Operations Officers, lovingly referred to as MOOs, have a vital role in the operations rooms. They are based in the 10 Maritime Rescue Coordination Centres (MRCCs) around the country and the UK’s national maritime command and control centre in the JRCC.

They handle the calls that come into the MRCCs – both emergency (999) and routine calls – and coordinate maritime rescues. They gather and analyse the information available to enable them to respond to incidents and emergencies in the most suitable way, as well as disseminating safety information to mariners, coastal users and partner organisations.

As you saw during this rescue, MOOs always work as part of a team, overseen by a Team Leader.

Rachel has been working in the JRCC for the last four years – following a 9-to-12-month period of on-the-job training – taking emergency calls and coordinating an urgent response. She had trained in a police control room as a call operator before following her passion for the sea into the Coastguard.

“I’m a big fan of sailing so I was aware of the Coastguard and what they do,” she said. “I knew what was involved in the job. I do enjoy the coordination side, it isn’t easy, but the bit I like best is talking to people, even if it is quite often in difficult circumstances.

“We are here for people at their worst moments – and their best actually – and the feeling when you have done a good job and got someone home, it’s just amazing. It’s the most important part of the job for me, getting people home.”

She said that her talk with the elderly man stuck in the mud has stayed with her since, as she recalls her deep worry at the time.

“He was on his own, it was dark and he was very cold,” Rachel said. “I could tell that he was being stoic and I just didn’t want to leave him on his own. But the phone kept cutting out so I had to keep calling him back. But we were just chatting away mostly and I was trying to distract him.

“I was really worried about him, so I was so pleased when they got to him in time and everything turned out alright.

“It can be a very tough job at times, but the good things – and the feeling of bringing someone home safely – outweighs the bad.”

Visit the Maritime and Coastguard Agency Careers Registration page on gov.uk and register your interest.

Tune into Episode Two of Coastguard at 9pm on Sunday on Channel 5 

Read all about Episode One with additional content and insight.

Rewatch the episode Channel 5 On Demand: https://hmcoastguard.uk/coastguard-episode-one

There are currently opportunities for volunteers to become Coastguard Rescue Officers in a number of our Coastguard Rescue Teams, including those operating in Burgh by Sands, Maryport, Whitehaven, Millom, Furness, Arnside, Morecambe, Knott End, Lytham St Annes, Crosby, Rhyl and Llandudno.

Each day is different as a volunteer with HM Coastguard. Our Coastguard Rescue Teams are made up entirely of specially-trained and equipped volunteers who are on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to respond to a wide range of emergency incidents, including people needing help in the water, mud rescues, helicopter operations, and missing person searches.

Officers can be called out in all-weather conditions, and may have to work in hazardous situations as well as carry out physically demanding tasks.

This past summer and with a rise in people visiting coastal hotspots and holidaying in the UK, our teams have been very busy responding to incidents at the coast.

And thanks to the continued commitment of our volunteers – we are always there and ready to respond. Our message is always the same: In an emergency situation at the coast – call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.

Andy Peacock, Senior Coastal Operations Officer for HM Coastguard in the North West, said: “Our Coastguard Rescue Officer volunteers are at the heart of absolutely everything we do in delivering our dedicated search and rescue service along the UK’s coastline.

“Our volunteers play a vital role in serving and supporting local communities in which they work and live – helping to keep people safe in coastal areas and also by assisting our emergency service colleagues and partners such as the RNLI and independent lifeboats.

“We’re encouraging anyone who is interested in volunteering with us to get in touch and we are looking forward to welcoming new volunteers into the Coastguard Rescue Service in the near future.”

Recent recruit Mark, who only joined in March of this year and volunteers with Knott End Coastguard Rescue team, said that volunteering has equipped him with valuable new skills and that he has benefited from continued learning opportunities.

“It has been a rewarding experience volunteering with Knott End Coastguard Rescue Team so far,” Mark said. “Right from coming into a friendly and welcoming team environment, meeting lots of new people, I have really enjoyed the variety the role has to offer. I volunteered with the team as I wanted to give back something in my spare time and to feel part of my local community.”

For those keen to join the Coastguard Rescue Service and volunteer – please send a note of interest via e-mail to area15@mcga.gov.uk by 31 October 2021, including your name, age, current address and contact number.

Importantly, please also specify which Coastguard Rescue Team you have an interest in joining in your local area.

Once all details are received, a member of our Area Management Team will send out an application pack as soon as possible.

For further information about what it is like to be a volunteer, visit: https://www.gov.uk/volunteer-as-a-coastguard/what-to-expect-as-a-volunteer.