Posted on: 25 June 2022
On this Day of the Seafarer, Maritime London would like to celebrate the excellent work of our affiliated charity the Maritime London Officer Cadet Scholarship (MLOCS), which this year marks its 30th Anniversary. MLOCS is run on an entirely voluntary basis, with Maritime London providing the secretariat, and we are very proud of the fact that in the last thirty years the charity has raised over £3 million and trained to qualification over 100 merchant navy officer cadets.
The scholarship, initially set up by a small group of Lloyd’s underwriters and known as the Lloyd’s of London Officer Cadet Scholarship, was renamed in 2002, to reflect the contribution to funding of the scholarships made by the wider maritime services industry in the City.
MLOCS enables cadets to study at leading nautical training colleges and at sea to qualify as deck and engine room officers, with each scholarship being funded by a named corporate sponsor. Training courses begin in either January or September of each year and last for three years. The scheme is also supported by donors who identify with MLOCS objectives but do not sponsor a particular cadet.
Oliver Bailey, a current MLOCS cadet sponsored by Gard, said: “It is really a great way to start a maritime career. The cadetship gives you practical skills and experiences which I think many employers will find highly valuable, whether you want to work at sea or on shore”. (Read more on Gard’s website here)
The MLOCS cadet cohort comprises eight cadets presently, with three out of them having started their training in January 2022, and with four cadets nearing the end of the cadetships. The Covid-19 pandemic, which has affected seafarers worldwide, has also had an impact on MLOCS cadets, delaying the completion dates for some of them.
Current sponsors include: Campbell Johnston Clark (CJC), the International Underwriting Association (IUA), Thomas Miller, Clearwater, Gard, Wallem, Ince, North P&I and Steamship Mutual. Several of the current sponsors have already confirmed they will continue to support MLOCS when their current cadets obtain certificates, and a new sponsorship is being currently discussed for a cadet who will start training in September 2023.
Tony Vlasto, MLOCS Chairman of Trustees says:
“On this Day of the Seafarer, we are proud to say that the training we have been able to support has promoted the improvement of standards of expertise on merchant vessels meaning safer ships and cleaner seas, as well as provided a pool of available talent to the maritime services sector when the seafarers ultimately come ashore.”
“There is now an increased awareness of the vital importance of shipping to our lives, the economy and our general well-being, as this Day of the Seafarer shows. This makes our mission all the more relevant and important and continued funding from our generous sponsors and donors all the more vital to enable us to continue our work.”
To mark its 30th anniversary, Maritime London Office Cadet Scholarship will hold a reception for the current and potential sponsors, as well as former and current cadets, on September 29th at the Watermen’s Hall. If you are interested to sponsor a cadet and/or find out more about MLOCS please contact us. Alternatively, visit the MLOCS JUSTGIVING PAGE to make a donation.
