Ben Morgan

This week we’re catching up with Ben Morgan, a former student whose journey has taken him from Cansfield High School to studying Maths, Physics and PE at Winstanley from 2022 to 2024, and now all the way across the Mediterranean, Caribbean and South America as part of his Merchant Navy Engineering Cadetship.

Ben says: “When I finished College in 2024, I applied for a Merchant Navy Engineering Cadetship. I started in January 2025 at Blackpool and The Fylde College’s Fleetwood Nautical Campus. My training provider is Clyde Marine Training and my sponsoring company is Eastern Pacific Shipping. The goal at the end of the course is to have my Engineering Officer of the Watch Certificate of Competency and a Level 5 HND in Marine Engineering.

As part of the cadetship, I’ve needed to gain real experience working at sea. So far, I have 3 months and 16 days of sea time on a container ship travelling between the Mediterranean, Caribbean and South America.

Right now, I’m working towards a Certificate of Higher Education in Marine Engineering before heading back to sea to finish the rest of my required sea time.

In the future, my aim is to qualify as a 2nd Engineer and eventually work offshore on oil rigs as a mechanical engineer.

My advice to future Winstanley students is to try to think about what you want to do after College, and remember that university isn’t the only option — there are different pathways out there.

For anyone thinking about following my career route: be sure it’s what you want. It’s a lot of hard work over three years, but the people you meet — both on the course and on the ships — make it worth it.”

Thanks for sharing your story Ben, we are inspired by your hard work and determination in your naval career!

If you are a former student, please consider joining our growing alumni network: Alumni - Winstanley College