Just Be Maritime is delighted to announce that one of our former cadets Alfie Allen received the MCA Officer Trainee of the Year award for 2025 ahead of the UK Chamber of Shipping’s annual dinner in London on Monday evening.
Each year this UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) award recognises an exceptional Merchant Navy officer trainee who has demonstrated high levels of academic achievement, professional progress, and personal leadership.
Alfie was presented with his prize by Aviation, Maritime and Decarbonisation Minister Keir Mather who commented: “Alfie’s determination, commitment and enthusiasm for the maritime industry is clear and I congratulate him on receiving the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s Officer Trainee of the Year Award. I am incredibly proud of our UK seafarers and everyone who keeps our maritime sector moving, and it is a privilege to celebrate the next generation who will carry forward Britain’s distinguished seafaring heritage.”
Throughout his three-year cadetship, Alfie has been managed by Just Be Maritime and sponsored by Trinity House through its Merchant Navy Scholarship Scheme (MNSS) under the direction of Captain Nigel Hope, Director of Maritime Training for Trinity House.
During this time, Alfie has undertaken academic studies at South Shields Marine School while gaining a variety of seagoing experience across a range of vessel types, including time aboard a buoy tender vessel, container ships, cruise ships and a Royal Navy Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV).
Now preparing to join the Royal Fleet Auxiliary as a Third Officer, Alfie said: “If you had told me when starting my cadetship that I would achieve ‘MCA Officer Trainee of the Year’, I wouldn’t have believed you! I couldn’t imagine even getting as far as becoming a qualified officer, so to achieve this means so much to me.”
“I was lucky enough to be sponsored by a reputable company and experience a variety of vessels. Even with this experience, life at sea always comes with its challenges as it is far from a normal job. I look forward to the ships I will be working on in the future and all the new people and adventures this job and industry allows me to encounter.”
Lars Lippuner, MCA’s Director of UK Customer Services, remarked: “Alfie’s dedication and enthusiasm to progress in the maritime world is the kind of inspirational story that the MCA Officer Trainee of the Year Award was set up to promote. It’s fantastic to see how Alfie has thrived at sea. His journey showcases the variety of options offered by a maritime career, and how to seize those opportunities. Our seafarers are central to the success of the industry so I would urge anyone to consider following in his wake.”
Stuart Benge, JBM’s Operations Director added: ”I’m delighted for Alfie on being awarded Officer Trainee of the Year. He has been an outstanding ambassador for both his sponsor and his college and has fully embraced every opportunity throughout his cadetship. We wish him every success with his future career.”
Pictured (L to R): Simon Ashton (Principal, South Shields Marine School), Rear Admiral Iain Lower CB (Deputy Master & Chief Executive, Trinity House), Third Officer Alfie Allen, The Rt Hon. Keir Mather MP, Captain Nigel Hope (Director of Maritime Training, Trinity House), Lars Lippuner (Director of UK Customer Services, MCA) and Stuart Benge (Operations Director, Just Be Maritime).
