Skip to main navigation Skip to main content
The University of Southampton
Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute

Access to Skills

Learning and training are a critical element of SMMI’s mission. We have a strong commitment to deliver the next generation of professionals in the marine and maritime sectors. Whether you are looking to recruit at graduate level, or require access to grant funded graduate or postgraduate skills to transfer new knowledge and understanding into your organisation, the University has a range of ways to assist.

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships

If your company needs access to new knowledge or expertise, a Knowledge Transfer Partnership can place a high-calibre graduate into your business, supported by an academic expert and leading facilities of the University. These are high-impact projects seeking to significantly boost the profitability of your business, and the costs of these are met by up to 67% grant funding. Companies eligible for KTP will typically reap the following benefits*:

  • an increase of more than £1 million in annual profits before tax
  • the creation of 2 new jobs, in addition to recruitment of the associate
  • an additional 31 staff trained

*Statistics from the latest KTP Annual Report 2013/14 Read more here [https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/426670/KTP_Achievements_and_Outcomes__2014_FINAL.pdf]

Recent Maritime KTPs include a collaboration with CJR Propulsion , Victor Marine , Kittiwake and the RNLI. Please click here to see case studies of other partnerships.

SMMI has its own funded postgraduate students that are often keen to work with industry. Find out more here. We also have a number of marine and maritime related Centres for Doctoral Training that enable students to work closely with business:

Understanding Maritime Futures - Leverhulme Centre for Doctoral Training

SMMI Understanding Maritime Futures Leverhulme Trust Doctoral Scholars will address key global issues such as access to resources, safety and security, the effects of rising sea levels, technical advancements and autonomy, our responses to natural and human disasters, the impacts on people, and the ways people living by and from the sea understand their experiences and cultural heritage. The vision for the programme is to develop transdisciplinary thought leaders and researchers who have a unique human-centred approach to understanding, living, and working with the sea. The programme aims to facilitate a different, more creative and holistic way of problem solving to address marine and maritime societal challenges. Find out more here.

Southampton Partnership for Innovative Training of Future Investigators Researching the Environment (SPITFIRE)

SPITFIRE is a NERC Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) creating an innovative multi-disciplinary experience for the effective training of future leaders in environmental science, engineering, technology development, business, and policy. SPITFIRE students are registered at the University of Southampton and undertake their PhD project research within the University or one of the hosting partner organisations. Unique features of SPITFIRE include opportunities for placements at a range of prestigious international research organisations or industrial and policy partners. Reda more here.

NERC CDT in Oil and Gas

The new Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) includes 19 UK institutes who will focus on creating a highly skilled workforce with expertise that can be used across the wider energy and environmental sectors, as well as filling skills gaps in the oil and gas sector. This workforce of the future will help equip the industry with the skills needed to reduce the environmental impact of oil and gas exploration and extraction. The Graduate School of the National Oceanography Centre Southampton (GSNOCS) will be offering nine fully funded four-year PhDs as part of the CDT, three per year for the next three years. The Graduate School of the National Oceanography Centre Southampton (GSNOCS) is a member of this consortium, led by Heriot-Watt University, that also includes seven core partners and a further 10 associate partners. Read more here.

CDT in Energy Storage and its Applications

Energy storage is a rapidly developing topic that will be essential in the delivery of a global low carbon economy, and will directly impact key sectors such as our national grid system, renewable energy generation and will be integral in ‘greening’ our transport system through hybrid and more electric drivetrains. This ground breaking CDT in Energy Storage – which is run in collaboration with the University of Sheffield – will continue the UK’s prominent position in this sector, bringing together world leading research and training expertise in the fields of electrochemical energy storage, thermal storage, superconducting magnetic energy storage and mechanical energy storage. Read more here.

CDT in Next-Generation Computational Modelling (NGCM)

Computational modelling is a critically important driver for new technology (from the Airbus 380 to MRI [magnetic resonance imaging] scans), new science (from climate change to drug design), and new policy (from infrastructure to finance). Students will train to exploit cutting edge new hardware technology and develop innovative simulation methods, which go beyond the state-of-the-art in order to address the most pressing scientific and engineering challenges of the 21st century. Read more here.

A full list of the University of Southampton’s Centres for Doctoral Training is here.

EngDs from the University's Transport & the Environment Doctoral Training Centre

An EngD takes elements of both an MBA and PhD programme to deliver of programme of research to tackle an issue affecting your business. The first year is spent studying management units, with the following 3 years seeing the student based in your company, and because a lot of the cost is met by the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council, the cost to your company can be as low as £8k per year. Click here to find out further information.

Graduate Recruitment

The Careers and Employability Service offers a range of services designed to enable employers of all sizes to raise their company profile and promote their recruitment opportunities and engage with our students and graduates. Click here to find out more.

Employer Portal

We encourage organisations to register for free on the University's Employer Portal . From here organisations can upload, edit and remove vacancies as required and reach the full student body of over 18,000 undergraduates and 5,000 postgraduates as well as recent graduates. Additionally, you can indicate which services (e.g. Career Fairs, Placements, Knowledge Transfer Partnerships) are of interest, ensuring that you are notified when opportunities in your organisation's areas of interest arise.

Knowledge Transfer Partnership
RNLI KTP Case Study

Useful Downloads

Need the software? PDF Reader
Privacy Settings