Support vessel operator North Star salutes hire of first female assistant superintendent

Offshore infrastructure support vessel operator North Star has appointed one of its cadet programme graduates as its first female assistant superintendent.

The Aberdeen-headquartered business said Victoria Diamond impressed it with her skills, aptitude, and commitment to a seafaring career after completing its three-year cadetship and gaining key engineering qualifications.

Her responsibilities as an assistant superintendent include helping other vessel superintendents to ensure all ships are operated and maintained to comply with relevant legislation and class-rule requirements. She is also tasked with arranging and supervising any repair work and buying vessel spares and stores.

North Star says it is the country’s largest employer of offshore cadets and invests £1 million annually in their development. It also explained that the salaried programme comprises classroom-based theoretical learning as well as practical training using its fleet of 47 support vessels supporting offshore installations in the UK Continental Shelf.

Ms Diamond said she was inspired to have a career offshore after growing up hearing stories of her grandfather’s time in the Merchant Navy. She added that now, “I’m looking forward to applying everything I’ve learnt to date, progressing further, and supporting other cadets as they come up through the ranks, especially more females... the potential to also be working on North Star’s new offshore wind fleet currently under construction is truly exciting and demonstrates the longevity and options in this career choice”.

North Star’s crewing and cadet coordinator Anne Mearns said: “We are committed to supporting the next generation and it has been wonderful seeing Victoria growing and emerging from her time as a cadet to this well-deserved position as our first female assistant superintendent.”