Fleetwood Nautical Campus boss doffs cap to future success

The campus, which attracts students from across the world and is part of Blackpool and The Fylde College, celebrated its 125th anniversary last year.

Captain Neil Atkinson, head of the campus, reflected this week that the milestone coincided with the opening of the new £1.2m Marine Engineering Centre in July, a state-of-the art amenity which bodes well for the future success of the Fleetwood site.

Captain Atkinson said: “Last year was a very special year for us at Fleetwood.

“It was 125 years since the School for Fishermen was established, 50 years since the Nautical College officially opened and 30 years since the Nautical Campus was created.

“To further celebrate this milestone, our new £1.2m Marine Engineering Centre was officially opened in July 2017 by Ashok Mahapatra, director of the Maritime Safety Division of the International Maritime Organisation, in front of industry partners and invited dignitaries.

“We have also highlighted this auspicious anniversary at the graduation ceremonies of almost 200 students who have completed their studies with us during 2017.

“It was fitting that one of our graduates was named the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) UK Officer Trainee of the Year in 2017, becoming the first engineering officer ever to receive the award on the eighth occasion a Fleetwood cadet has been chosen for this honour in the last 11 years.”

The Marine Engineering Centre is designed to provide first-class training in a realistic working environment which mirrors the facilities cadets will experience when working as officers at sea.

Captain Atkinson added: “It has been a fantastic year for us at Fleetwood Nautical Campus and we look forward to continued success in the future.”