Meet the apprentice: Keeta Rowlands, ABP

Keeta Rowlands is one of the first people to complete the 4-year Marine Operations Apprenticeship designed by Associated British Ports. She now works in Southampton as a Multi-Purpose Marine Operative with a principal role in Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) operating the radar and ensuring that ships make their way safely into the port. Because her training was broad-based, Keeta is also coxswain on the patrol and pilot launches when she’s not in the VTS tower. Keeta always loved the sea and her career began with summer jobs in a marina. She started her apprenticeship with ABP in 2012, and learnt a wide range of practical skills from mooring ships to basic ship handling, with a nine-month spell in a nautical college to learn the theory side of the industry.  

She says of her role: 

"I have always enjoyed the variety of the sector and the different roles and paths within it. Every day is different for me whether it is trying to communicate through language barriers, or organising ships through gaps in huge yacht races, it’s difficult to find two days the same. The maritime industry is not spoken about enough. It isn’t just driving ships, there are so many roles, opportunities and challenges."