An open day is the best way to consider options, says UKSA, offering a way for parents to understand more and young people to explore their ambitions and motivations
As a parent, you want clarity. At 16+, the decisions your child faces – university, apprenticeships, gap year or something less conventional – feel weighty at any time and more complicated than ever right now. When future career opportunities enter the conversation, you are often the first to pick up the phone, not your child.
At UK Sailing Academy (UKSA), we regularly speak to parents long before we meet their sons and daughters. Some parents are planning a year or more ahead. Some are simply curious, responding to a spark of interest from their child. Perhaps a long-held love of the sea, perhaps inspiration from a television series like Below Deck, or the growing number of ‘day in the life’ maritime careers stories appearing online. That is why seeing firsthand what the options and opportunities are becomes so important.
UKSA monthly open days, held on Saturdays at our four-acre waterfront campus in Cowes, Isle of Wight, are designed specifically with families in mind. Those attending hear a presentation outlining courses, pathways and facilities. Open day visitors then split into smaller groups and the conversation begins to shift to potential pathways for each of the young people.
As they tour classrooms, accommodation, canteen and pontoons, it is often noted that UKSA’s setting feels more like a small university campus than a training centre. Parents are able to speak directly with course advisors about qualifications, medical requirements and funding options, with space and time in the schedule for detailed questions and honest answers.
“The open day gave us reassurance,” noted a parent who visited a recent Open Day. “We arrived with lots of practical questions, but we left with a clear sense of structure, safety and progression. Most importantly, our daughter left feeling it was her decision.”
That understanding and sense of ownership matters. Whether a child is considering a gap year, a direct route into a maritime career, or simply exploring alternatives to university, an open day allows them to test their motivation against the reality of training.
And at UKSA the training is rigorous, running seven days a week, with only occasional days off. It prepares young people for an industry that is demanding, professional and rewarding. This is one reason the team at UKSA encourage students to gain at least a year of part-time work experience beforehand – not necessarily maritime, but any role that builds resilience, teamwork and accountability.
From first enquiry through to a student’s first role, support is continuous. “What makes the difference in the long term is a joined-up approach: training, careers guidance, and welfare are not separate strands, but part of a continuous journey. At UKSA, we call this lifetime careers support,” says UKSA Industry and Careers Coordinator Lauren Saltonstall.
That support includes CV guidance and introductions to crew agencies, and with mentoring and advice as careers progress. It also means thoughtful pastoral care –support for additional learning needs and dietary requirements, and sensitive conversations around assisted funding where appropriate.
Choosing a post-16 pathway is not simply about the next step, it is about equipping young people with qualifications, confidence and direction. An open day is where that clarity begins. Seeing the environment, meeting the people and understanding the expectations makes it much easier to decide, with assurance, if this is the right course for your child’s ambition – whether that is building a long-term career, seeing the world, or both.
UKSA uksa.org
Further reading: Specialist success for Hartpury
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