8th April 2025
Three Maritime Futures trainees are the latest crew members to have joined the Hull-registered distant water trawler "Kirkella".
Hanna, Megan and Josh earned their sea-going certification earlier this year following the completion of the intensive three-week Maritime Futures training course.
Trainees Hanna Jenkinson and Megan Dosdale are the first female crew members to join the Kirkella trawler.
Operated by UK Fisheries Ltd and boasting a crew of 30, the freezer trawler fishes in the Canadian, Norwegian, and Barents Seas, supplying approximately one-twelfth of the fish served in UK fish and chip shops.
The Maritime Futures course was commissioned by the Hull Maritime project, funded by Trinity House Maritime Fund and Hull City Council’s Learning and Skills Multiply programme, and delivered by East Coast Maritime Training, a not-for-profit organisation rooted in Hull's fishing industry heritage.
Megan Dosdale, a former Royal Navy member recently returned to Hull, embarked on the course with aspirations of working aboard fishing or standby vessels. Reflecting on the training experience, she said: "Len [the trainer] shared lots of his past experiences which has helped put my mind at ease about going into the fishing sector."
Hanna Jenkinson, who originally had booked a Level two Powerboat Handing course to help land a job specialising as a watersports front deckhand on yachts. Hanna said: “This experience on the Kirkella is too good of an opportunity to turn down. I have gained a lot of knowledge and hands-on skills as well as the key qualifications to allow me to get a job on board a sea vessel. I'm really excited to set sail.”
Josh Telford undertook the three-week training course and also secured a place as a trainee deckhand on the Kirkella, he added: “I have gained knowledge and skills which I can now put into practice. This was the best course of study I have ever taken – I enjoyed every minute of it.”
Acknowledging their success, Gillian Osgerby, Hull City Council’s interim assistant director of major projects and infrastructure, said: "We are always very proud to hear of the success of trainees and are extremely pleased to hear that Hanna, Megan, and Josh have been given positions as trainee deckhands onboard the Kirkella trawler because of the Maritime Futures programme.
“We wish them every success for the future. These women and other crew members are not only making history but also helping to shape a more inclusive and sustainable future for the local fishing industry.”
Kim Jenson from East Coast Maritime Training, said: “We are always very proud to hear of the success of our candidates and are extremely pleased to hear that Hanna, Megan and Josh have been given positions as trainee deckhands onboard the Kirkella. We wish them every success for the future.”
These trailblazing women and other crew members are paving the way for greater diversity in the sector, ensuring the fishing industry remains progressive, sustainable, and inclusive. The Maritime Futures programme, with its 80 per cent employment rate exemplifies how training and support can transform ambitions into reality, bridging the gap between Hull's historic maritime roots and its future.
Over the past year, 35 candidates completed the course and 83 per cent of them have secured employment within 30 days of the course ending.
