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Experienced offshore supervisor guiding a new worker on a North Sea platform deck

Start offshore

Greenhands & entry-level

A practical route into safety-critical offshore work, focused on transferable skills, verified training and realistic first-role options.

What the work can involve

Typical duties

  • Support supervised deck and logistics tasks
  • Maintain tidy, controlled work areas
  • Follow permits, toolbox talks and stop-work procedures
  • Build task evidence under experienced supervision

Typical evidence

  • Offshore medical fitness evidence
  • BOSIET/FOET or GWO pathway appropriate to the role
  • MIST where required
  • Manual handling and basic first aid

Profile fields

  • Transferable trade skills
  • Safety-critical experience
  • Preferred offshore pathway
  • Current availability
All pathwaysView campaigns

Training for this role

Greenhands & entry-level training options.

For a new entrant targeting wind, begin with the occupation and transferable skill. These routes explain structured wind entry and Armed Forces transition options.

Eligible service personnel

Armed Forces wind funding

Understand ELCAS, resettlement checks and the published Liverpool and Newcastle wind routes.

View provider guide
Fleetwood training

Fleetwood survival and safety routes

Compare OPITO oil-and-gas, GWO wind and STCW maritime entry routes before choosing the standard for your target work.

View provider guide
Relevant official coursesFleetwood offshore courses

Role pathway guide

Building a credible greenhands & entry-level profile.

A greenhand is new to offshore work, not necessarily new to work itself. Construction, manufacturing, marine, logistics and Armed Forces experience can all be relevant when it demonstrates safe behaviour, reliability and competence with tools or controlled work.

The first realistic role depends on existing ability. A qualified mechanic may target maintenance support, while somebody with cargo or construction experience may be better aligned to deck, lifting or shutdown work. Survival training is an entry requirement for some assignments, but it does not replace an occupational skill.

Working environment

Offshore installations operate around permits, shift handovers, restricted areas, weather limits and emergency procedures. New entrants should expect close supervision, shared accommodation, long shifts and firm rules on fatigue, PPE, housekeeping and stop-work responsibility.

What employers check

  • A truthful CV showing transferable work and safety responsibilities
  • Evidence of the trade, task or operational skill behind the application
  • Current medical-fitness and survival evidence for the actual asset
  • Availability, travel readiness and a realistic understanding of rotations

A practical starting sequence

  1. Choose a target occupation before selecting training
  2. Record transferable duties and safety-critical experience
  3. Check the employer specification and accepted training standard
  4. Keep availability and expiring evidence current

Keep evidence current

Certificate names, numbers, issuing bodies, dates and files must agree. Offshore Personnel records expiry and review status, but the employer and certificate issuer decide whether evidence is accepted for a particular assignment.

Never alter documents or describe supervised exposure as independent competence. Accurate profiles are easier to assess and safer to mobilise.

Common questions

Greenhands & entry-level questions

Requirements vary by employer, asset and jurisdiction. These answers explain the recruitment approach and the evidence employers commonly assess.

Can I work offshore with no previous offshore experience?

Some entry routes accept workers without offshore history, but employers still expect relevant skills, safe behaviour and the exact evidence required for the assignment. Registration does not guarantee a first trip.

Should I book BOSIET before choosing a role?

Choose the role and check likely employer requirements first. Different assets and sectors can require different safety pathways, and survival training alone does not make a person occupationally competent.

What experience can transfer offshore?

Trade maintenance, construction, marine operations, lifting, logistics, emergency response, catering and military experience may transfer when the duties and competence can be evidenced accurately.