Do you prefer life in the open where you can put your energy to good use?

Become a fisherman

If you choose a career as a fisherman, you will have lots of opportunities for testing your strength in the open air.

It is no 8-4 job, and your pay is paid out as a share of your take once the overheads have been deducted. This means that if you catch a lot of fish, you will earn a good pay and vice versa if your catch is small.

If you want to work as a fisherman, you must first complete a three-week safety course. If you are 18 or over, you can now sign on to a vessel as a fisherman. On the other hand, if you are under 18, you must enrol for the fisheries’ two-year basic training programme. Regardless of your age, we recommend that you complete the fisheries’ two-year basic training programme as it provides you with a good foundation for working as a fisherman.

If you later discover that you want to be captain of your own ship, you can pursue further training to become a skipper.

Become a skipper

As a skipper you must have some knowledge of how to run a business. This includes everything from how to sail a vessel and process the fish properly to how to manage the crew on board.

More specifically, while training as a skipper you will learn everything there is to know about navigation, radio communication and much more.

When you have completed the course and begin using your newly acquired skills, you will be the captain of the ship.

The exam for skipper (3rd degree) is the programme to choose if you want to sail vessels smaller than 45 metres in length on short voyages.

The exam for skipper (1st degree) is the programme to choose if you want to sail all types of vessels, regardless of size and waters.

There are a wide range of courses you can take once you have qualified as a fisherman. Some courses are mandatory, while others are voluntary.

As a minimum, you must complete a safety course to become a fisherman. But there are many other interesting courses that can help you enhance your skills, such as courses in radio communication, fishing or managing the finances of the vessel.

If you choose specific courses and combine them with vocational experience, you can complete the fisheries’ basic training programme and earn The Blue Certificate.

Most courses are taken on board the new training ship, Athene.