P&O Cruises and Time Out | Behind the partnership
15 November 2023
Supporting South Shields Marine School
9 April 2024
Last year we launched the Carnival UK Engineering and Electro Technical Graduate Cadetship. Christopher Winter and Fraser MacDonald are two of the first participants on the scheme and Christopher wanted to share his experience so far.
“My name is Christopher Winter, and in July 2021 I completed a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Newcastle University. At the end of my degree, I thought I wanted a normal office job as an engineer; however, after a few years, I realised that that wasn’t the career for me, and I started looking at other options.
Coming from Hull, the sea has always been a big part of life. I attended Hull Trinity House Academy as a child, and had a lot of exposure to the merchant navy growing up. My brother and my cousin are both deck officers in the Merchant Navy, they suggested that I look into becoming an Electro-Technical Officer. I spent considerable time researching the role, and thought it sounded amazing.
After researching a few different sponsoring companies, I decided that Carnival UK was the right choice for me, and I applied immediately. Within a few weeks, they offered me a sponsorship to become an ETO Graduate Fast Track cadet at South Shields Marine School, and I started my course in September 2023.
The fast-track route being much shorter than the normal ETO course made the career switch much easier for me, and Carnival UK has gone above and beyond to accommodate me during the process. I am proud to be amongst the first cohort of ETO Graduate Fast Track cadets, and I look forward to all the opportunities presented to me. It has been extremely exciting so far, and I can’t wait to get on a cruise ship in 2024.”
