Over four decades of commitment to the Maritime training industry, was recognized for North Kent College’s Steve Watkins last week, when he picked up a prestigious honour at the National Maritime SME awards.
Steve, who is Manager of the National Maritime Training Centre located at our Gravesend campus, received the Alan Woods Lifetime Achievement Award at the event for his dedication to the Maritime training industry.
The award recognises his ‘outstanding and significant contribution to the field of the UK Maritime sector’ and comes in addition to the Merchant Navy Medal for Meritorious Service, for services to maritime apprenticeships, that he was awarded in 2020.
Steve expressed his delighted at the surprise recognition, saying: “It was an honour to receive such a prestigious award in recognition of a career that I have thoroughly enjoyed. To be able to pass on the knowledge, and skills to the next generation of mariners is so rewarding and seeing them rise through the ranks in pursuit of their own careers makes it all worthwhile.”
From L to R: Peter Green, Chief Executive at National Maritime, Mark Andrews, Deputy Executive Principal Strategy and Curriculum at North Kent College, Stephen Watkins, National Maritime Training Centre Manager at North Kent College and Alan Woods MBE, Chair/founder of Woods’ Silver Fleet and co-founder of Thames Clippers, Extra Waterman to HM the King
Steve’s long and illustrious nautical career began back in 1980 when he left Maidstone Boys Technical School to became one of the earliest deck officer trainees recruited by the Small Ships Training Group (now known as the Ship Safe Training Group).
After a spell on MV Eminence, where he became 2nd Mate, Steve went on to join the National Sea Training College at Gravesend in 1989 as a seamanship instructor.
In 1996 the National Sea Training College and North West Kent College merged and Steve took on delivery of many of the qualifications, and would go on to be promoted to the position he holds today as Manager of the National Maritime Training Centre
The National Maritime Training Centre is a leading provider of education and practical training for companies in the Maritime industry.
It makes use of specialist facilities including a Fire Training Ground and Thameside Jetty and offers a huge range of both short courses, professional development diplomas, apprenticeship training and more.
Full details can be found on the National Maritime Training Centre page of our website.
The National Maritime SME awards celebrate outstanding and innovative achievements across the UK maritime sector in 20 different award categories.
The 2023 awards were held at the RIBA London award-winning Woods Quay, a new building moored on the Thames.
Full details can be found on the National Maritime website.