Warsash Maritime School Cadet Shortlisted for Maritime UK Award
Gabriel Verne (pictured below), previously a Cadet of Warsash Maritime School (WMS), newly qualified Engineering Officer, has been shortlisted for the Bevis Minter Award at this year’s Maritime UK Awards.
The Bevis Minter Award, which honours officer trainees who show great determination and overcome significant challenges in pursuit of a maritime career, was established by Nautilus in memory of Bevis Minter, a former Nautilus Council chairman who was a passionate advocate of British seafaring skills. Nominations are made by approved officer training providers leading to the award of a Certificate of Competency in the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland.
Gabriel Verne was nominated for the Bevis Minter Award by Warsash Maritime School, part of Solent University. In September 2018, our nominee Gabriel Verne commenced a three-year MNTB approved marine engineer training officer cadetship programme at Warsash Maritime School, originally sponsored by A.P Moller-Maersk, then Ship Safe Training Group.
On receiving his nomination, Gabriel says: “I am humbled and honoured to be nominated for this prestigious award. It makes me feel really happy to be noticed in this way. The nomination has come as a great surprise.”
The news comes soon after he was announced as the Maritime & Coastguard Agency’s ‘Officer Trainee of the Year 2021’, and WMS ‘2021 Engineer Cadet of the Year’ by Director of the School, Lars Lippuner, for performing to the highest standard throughout his cadetship.
Gabriel was originally inspired to pursue a career in maritime after moving to the UK south coast from Poland at the age of 12. Gabriel spent his teenage years in Bournemouth, forever changing his attitude towards the sea. Gabriel wanted to be able to learn a trade that would enable him to earn a living while travelling the world and that's exactly what the Merchant Navy offered. It took Gabriel six years to obtain the necessary citizenship, qualifications, and documentation to enrol as a cadet. He did all of this without any family support and still found the time to help his fellow students and promote the maritime industry.
By August 2021, Gabriel was awarded a Higher National Diploma and successfully gained his Certificate of Competency. After vigorously pursuing positions in the superyacht market, Gabriel secured his first role as a 3rd Engineering officer of the Watch on an 80m superyacht in November 2021.
The Maritime UK Awards are run by the industry for the benefit of the industry and are a unique and impactful way to showcase individual business, and collectively, to celebrate a thriving sector, worth £46.1bn to the UK economy.
The winners of the Maritime UK Awards, across 14 different categories, will be announced at an awards ceremony hosted by award-winning broadcaster, Jennifer Reoch, at the Glasgow Science Centre on 10 March 2022.
