Apprentice of the Year accolade for V.Ships Cadet Alex Rooney

This week we got a glimpse into the bright future of one of our young V.Ships cadets when Alex Rooney picked up the award for Apprentice of the Year at the Liverpool Marine Engineers and Naval Architects Guild awards ceremony.

Alex earned the prestigious title in recognition of the progress he has made in his apprenticeship studies, and the practical application of his knowledge and skills in the workplace.

The awards represent the very best emerging talent in the maritime and engineering sector. On the night, winning apprentices were presented with a commemorative engraved shield, a certificate and a cheque for £100.

Alex’s win is the latest in a string of recent achievements for V.Group cadets. Earlier this year Matthew Gigg was selected as the Maritime & Coastguard Agency’s (MCA) Officer Trainee of the Year 2018, Rory O’Connor was awarded Cadet of the Year at Fleetwood Nautical College, and Claire Allan represented the Merchant Navy at the 100th year national anniversary of the Armistice and WW1.

All of these accomplishments are a testament to the first-class training and support that V.Group offers all of its cadets, and its commitment to fostering and nurturing the best maritime talent.

Our current cohort includes over 1100 cadets from all over the world, undergoing training at all stages of cadetship. We focus on developing the skills, knowledge and competence of our recruits to be future officers, with training completed during both seagoing service and within maritime colleges and academies.

All officers onboard play an active role in the cadet development programme, while our shore-based cadet training team actively manage the process. Our cadets are trained to have absolute regard for safety, security and the maritime environment, receiving mentoring and career guidance throughout their employment with us.

To find out more about our Cadet Training Programme, click here.