Marine Pilot - Trainee
Would you like to pilot some of the biggest ships in the world along the iconic River Thames?
As a Pilot with the Port of London Authority, you’ll guide vessels along 95 miles of waterway, from central London all the way out to the North Sea, navigating the turns of the Thames, past famous landmarks and under historic bridges.
Our Pilots board all types of vessels, from the biggest container ships and tankers to warships and cruise ships visiting London, using their experience and local knowledge to ensure the safe passage in, out and around the tidal Thames. They operate 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and, at times in challenging conditions, working to keep trade and visitors flowing on the heartbeat of London.
We need motivated, ambitious mariners to join our 100+ strong team of sea and river Pilots.
It’s a challenging role that requires rigour, determination and commitment. We’ll provide ongoing professional support as you train to acquire the skills you need to become a Port of London Authority Pilot. We put health, safety and wellbeing at the top of our priorities, along with customer service and professionalism, and we’ll expect you to do the same.
More information about Pilotage at the PLA can be found here: https://pla.co.uk/pilotage
Marine Pilot Training
Training and continuous professional development is fundamental to your success in the role.
We’ll help you every step of the way, but you need ambition, determination, commitment and professionalism. You’ll also need to share our vision for delivering a quality service to our customers and embracing Health, Safety and Wellbeing.
Our training is a mixture of theory, practical and simulation delivered in a variety of environments, including our headquarters in Gravesend, Kent, at sea, on the tidal Thames and at colleges around the UK.
As you embark on your new career, you’ll be given guidance, feedback and clear pathways that will assist you to reach the top level of Pilots serving the biggest ships. However, it takes time, experience and learning to progress through the classes.
Your initial training period will last for approximately 28 weeks. Explore the pathway below that will lead to you becoming a Class IV Pilot, the first level.
Training pathways & progression routes
Through a combination of training, tripping, practical, theory and oral assessments you can progress from a Trainee Pilot up to Class I Unrestricted.
Pilotage Statistics
- Pilotage Sea Acts in 2024
- % of Authorised Sea Pilots Recruited Since 2016
- + Pilots employed at the PLA
Intake information
Please note that we recruit against three set intakes for pilot recruitment. These intakes occur in February, June, and October.
Interviews are conducted up to five months before the intake begins. Here's a breakdown of the interview timing for each intake:
- February intake - interviews typically occur in September or October.
- June intake - interviews typically occur in January or February.
- October intake - interviews typically occur in May or June.