Maritime Transportation & Engineering

Full Steam Ahead For New Pilot Cadetship Program

Texas A&M Maritime Academy Cadets train in the full-bridge simulator on the Galveston Campus. With the opportunities provided by the new cadetship program they'll get valuable maritime experience aboard Liquified Natural Gas Carriers (LNGCs).

A new maritime education program advancing real-world knowledge and experience is going full steam ahead thanks to the partnership between the Texas A&M Maritime Academy, Cheniere Energy, Inc., and GasLog Ltd. LNG Services.

Two Texas A&M Maritime Academy cadets will participate in the newly established Pilot Cadetship Program, granting them the opportunity to gain operational sea time experience with a leading Liquified Natural Gas Carrier (LNGC) operator.

The cadets will join the GasLog Gladstone at Cheniere’s Sabine Pass facility March 4, 2021. The shipping assignment will consider the cadets’ academic schedules, allowing assignments to be between 60-90 days onboard each nominated LNGC.

During the valuable learning opportunity, cadets will effectively become members of the onboard crews. They will fulfill technical, operational and Health, Safety, Security & Environment (HSSE) requirements as directed by the vessel’s master while also completing academic study tasks established by the academy.

The program was created to address the need to support an increasing number of United States seafarers on LNGCs and to further advance the real-world learning opportunities for cadets pursuing degree programs in the Department of Maritime Transportation or the Department of Maritime Business Administration.

“What an incredible opportunity for our cadets to gain real world experiences fully entrenched among seasoned LNGC crews, ” stated Texas A&M Maritime Academy Superintendent RADM Michael Fossum. “The U.S. maritime and energy industries are critical to state and national prosperity and I’m proud to partner with industry leaders who are invested in the education of tomorrow’s merchant mariners. “