Looking to take a step up the ladder?
22 November 2019
If you’re in-between seasons or taking the winter off, then you might be looking at developing your career with some additional training or certification to ensure that you can take the next step up the ladder.
Whilst the career path for some might look simple, we’ve found that most yacht crew are unsure about the best way to progress in their career and are particularly unsure about the right path on certification and training - especially due the large amount of inaccurate information that can be found online.
One-to-one careers advice
The PYA aims to solve this problem by offering all members one-to-one careers advice that helps yacht professionals, worldwide, take their careers to the next level with tailored careers, training and certification advice.
In particular, our careers advisor can provide detailed information on applying for your NOE (for OOW, EOOW, Master, SV Engineer, etc.) or Engineering as well as recording your sea service into the Digital Service Record Book (D-SRB) and verifying the information on your testimonials, specifically if you’re an aspiring Engineer or Deckhand looking to move into a senior position.
Interior crew advice
We can also provide career mapping and training advice to interior crew looking to upskill with one of the IAMI GUEST training programs.
By mapping out the best routes to acquiring your certification and training, our careers service can save you valuable time and money and help you progress into a leadership role easier and faster.
Book an appointment
To speak to our careers advice team email srb@pya.org.
For advice specific to interior careers, please email interior@pya.org.
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Antibes (France), 21 Jan. 2026 - Yacht agents and captains are reporting a growing demand for crew with Electrical Technical Officer (ETO) certification. However, while an ETO Certificate of Competency is a degree-level qualification focused primarily on high-voltage electrical systems, the operational reality onboard many yachts tells a different story.
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Real Life On Board Competition - Superyacht Reality Project
The PYA, with the backing of the Raising The Bar think tank, invites yacht crew worldwide to contribute to Superyacht Reality – Real Life On Board, a global photo and video competition designed to reflect the authentic experience of working on superyachts.
This initiative aims to support career awareness, promote realistic expectations of life at sea, and share the everyday moments that define professional yachting — from teamwork and skills development to the challenges and rewards of working on board.
The competition starts on 19th January 2026, ends on 22nd March 2026, and the winners will be announced the following week.
PYA Christmas Ball 2025 Highlights
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