Water transport deck and engine room crew
Career Overview
Water transport deck and engine room crew stand watch, operate and maintain deck equipment. They also perform other deck and bridge duties, assist ship engineer officers to operate, maintain and repair engines, machinery and auxiliary equipment aboard ships or self-propelled vessels.
People in this occupational group work for marine transportation companies and federal government departments.
Job Titles
Duties
Workers in this group perform some or all of the following duties:
- Stand watch and steer ship or self-propelled vessel under the direction of the officer on watch
- Operate, maintain and repair deck equipment such as winches, cranes, derricks and hawsers
- Assist ship engineer officers in performing routine maintenance work and repair to ship's engine, machinery and auxiliary equipment
- Monitor engine, machinery and equipment indicators, record variables and report abnormalities to ship engineer officer on watch
- Lubricate moving parts of engines, machinery and auxiliary equipment
- Operate and maintain off-loading liquid pumps and valves
- Clean engine parts and keep engine room clean
- Clean, chip and paint deck surfaces
- Handle mooring lines, and splice and repair ropes, wire cables and cordage
Earnings
Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.
Work Environment
# Workers Employed
1,180% Employed Full Time
55%Key aspects of the work in this occupation:
- Work takes place inside a ship or other self-propelled vessel
- Work also takes place outdoors so workers may be exposed to various weather conditions
- Working with machinery and equipment can be a source of injury
- The workplace may be noisy enough to affect hearing
Career Pathways
Progression to deck officer positions is possible with experience, additional training and deck officer certification by Transport Canada.
Training and testing for various endorsements and certification, including the Marine Emergency Duty (MED) certificate, are possible after working as a deck crew member.
Related Careers
Occupational Interests
It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.
For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.
Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:
Education, Training and Skills
- Some secondary school education is required
- On-the-job training is provided
Education programs in B.C.
Top Skills
Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.
Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.
See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!
Watching gauges, dials or other indicators to make sure that a machine is working properly.
Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Conducting tests and inspections of products, services or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Labour Market Statistics
Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.
Employment
Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.
Employment
1,180Employment by Region
| Region | Employment | % Employment of this Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 15 | 1.3% |
| Kootenay | 30 | 2.5% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 340 | 28.8% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 65 | 5.5% |
| Northeast | 0 | 0.0% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 40 | 3.4% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 680 | 57.6% |
Labour Market Outlook
The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.
Forecasted Job Openings (2024-2034)
410Forecasted Job Openings
Forecasted Employment Growth Rate
Composition of Job Openings
Job Openings by Region (2024-2034)
| Region | Job Openings | Avg. Annual Employment Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | Not available | Not available |
| Kootenay | 0 | -2.5% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 170 | 1.7% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 70 | 5.1% |
| Northeast | Not available | Not available |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 10 | 0.8% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 170 | 0.9% |
Industry Highlights
Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.
Forecasted Job Openings by Industry
| Industry | Job Openings (2024-2034) |
|---|---|
| Transportation and Warehousing | 310 |
| Public Administration | 70 |
| Manufacturing | 20 |
| Professional, Scientific and Technical Services | 10 |
Resources
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BC Ferry & Marine Workers’ Union (BCFMWU)www.bcfmwu.com
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Construction Maintenance and Allied Workers Canadawww.cmaw.ca
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Federal Government Dockyard Trades and Labour Council (West)www.members.shaw.ca/councilwest/index.htm
Career Videos
Watch the video below to learn what a typical day is like for a deck hand.
Watch the video below to learn what a typical day is like for a deck hand.
