Charting Course for a Challenging and Rewarding Career
How do you take the learning beyond the classroom?
UBC Master of Engineering Leadership (MEL) Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering students recently visited Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards. Seaspan is an association of Canadian companies that are primarily involved in marine transportation, ship docking, ship escort, ship repair and shipbuilding services in Western North America. Employing over 2500 people within Canada, Seaspan plays a critical in our local marine transportation and supply chain. Seaspan is a trusted partner in repair and conservation for government, commercial, and private vessels, and a key site for building non-combat vessels under Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy.
Discovering the Vancouver shipyards
During the visit, students saw the process of building a ship from flat plates into a complex structure. This experience perfectly complemented courses offered through the MEL in Naval and Marine Engineering program such as NAME 522 (Ship Production & Industrial Engineering) and NAME 581 (Ship Design) amongst other shipbuilding and naval engineering courses
In learning about the shipbuilding process, it is highly beneficial to be able to have experiences like this which help students visualize concepts that are difficult to replicate in the classroom.
During this field trip, students also visited the HoloShip, a 3D and immersive visualization facility, engaged with a computer-modelled twin for one of the vessels. Students experienced the ship’s construction and its architecture through virtual reality headsets. Through the headsets, students saw the various stages of the construction process.
From the classroom to a full time position
During the tour, students asked questions and gained real-world insight on careers in naval architecture and marine engineering. The visit was led by MEL NAME alumni Pavan Rao. Pavan is has been working at Seaspan since securing a position following his 12-week co-op program in 2019.
This visit provided students with insight into how UBC MEL alumni have been able to utilize their degree knowledge to succeed in the marine industry. Pavan remarked on how shipbuilding is a truly challenging but rewarding career because you are confronted with many unique problem-solving opportunities.
If you are interested in a career that both challenges and rewards your forward-thinking and problem-solving skills, then this may be the industry for you. Whether you are an experienced marine engineer or hoping to pivot in your career, the MEL in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering can help you transition into this exciting and dynamic industry.
The MEL in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering program provides you with the technical knowledge to explore the application of engineering in the marine industry, as well as business classes offered through UBC Sauder’s Robert H.Lee Graduate School which prepares you with the tools to gain both business acumen and leadership confidence.
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Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering
Combine the engineering and physics of ship design with broad business and leadership training.
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Featured Alumni
Clifford Mascarenhas
The MEL in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering enabled Clifford Mascarenhas to expand his technical knowledge and business skills – providing a foundation for the next chapter in his career: working in Vancouver’s shipyards as part of Canada’s shipbuilding industry.
