The Nautical Leadership Programme at UWC Atlantic is a funded programme created in partnership with Trinity House Maritime Charity.

As part of UWC Atlantic’s continued Seafront Development Campaign, the Nautical Leadership Experience (NLE) aims to offer young people with little to no seagoing experience the opportunity to develop skills that may be used in careers in the nautical and maritime industries.

The Nautical Leadership Experience is specifically for young people who do not have any of the listed qualifications, nor have had the opportunity to experience seagoing activities. All that is required is an open-minded mentality to try new things, a willingness to work collaboratively with peers and a discipline to commit to the full programme and embrace what the programme has to offer. As part of the Nautical Leadership Experience, participants will gain insightful knowledge, skills and new experiences, and can build confidence and leadership skills adaptable to any career.

ABOUT UWC ATLANTIC

United World College (UWC) Atlantic was established in 1962 and is the founding member of the UWC movement, a group of 18 international schools and colleges worldwide. With its imposing location in a 12th Century Castle on the South Wales coast overlooking the Bristol Channel and Nash Point, the College is steeped in educational provision and training in navigation, seamanship, marine safety and in particular boat building.

ABOUT TRINITY HOUSE MARITIME CHARITY

Trinity House is a charity dedicated to safeguarding shipping and seafarers, providing education, support and welfare to the seafaring community with a statutory duty as a General Lighthouse Authority to deliver a reliable, efficient and cost-effective aids to navigation service for the benefit and safety of all mariners. Their vision is to be a trusted world class aid to navigation authority and regarded as such by their stakeholders.

2026 course brochure:

2026 Course Information

📅 Date: 23rd October – 1st November 2026
📍 Location: UWC Atlantic, St Donat’s Castle, Wales, UK CF61 1WF
🏠 Accommodation: Included
🧑 Ages: 16-18 year olds*
💸 Fee: fully funded
⏳ Application deadline: 31st August 2026
🇬🇧 You must live within the UK to be eligible.

Apply here

The course is for 16-18 year olds (up to school year 13 on the date of the course) with a maximum capacity of 12 participants. Those born in before 31st September 2008 are not eligible to apply.

The 7-night residential course is offered to 12 young people aged between 16-18 years and primarily aims to provide you with the skills, knowledge and interest to develop and explore a career in the maritime and nautical sector. You will gain formal recognition and an insight into the world of sea based work and careers from teaching, training, the environment, naval and more.

In collaboration with Trinity House and other partners, the programme includes industry seminars and talks covering a range of topics and subjects linked to the marine and maritime industry.

You will live and train on our 122-acre campus with much activity taking place at the seafront. Here, the practical and physical skills will be developed as well as social and soft skills. Safety, teamwork, leadership, discipline, respect for others and communication skills are at the heart of the programme.
Certain elements of the programme will also be delivered off campus by activity partners in the South Wales area. You will remain supervised by course staff at all times.

WHAT QUALIFICATIONS COULD I GAIN?

You will gain the following qualifications:

• RYA Sea Survival
• Emergency First Aid at Work
• RYA VHF Radio Licence
• RLSS Water Safety Management
• RYA Powerboat Level 2

WHAT OTHER AREAS WILL I EXPLORE? 

During the course, we will also explore the importance of teamwork, leadership, the working environment, and collaborate with external rescue agencies in the context of a career in the maritime sector.

2026 Course Information

The programme runs from 25th October-1st November 2026 and you must commit to the full course. You must arrive between 6pm-8pm on 25th October and depart between 9am-11am on 1st November.

The course is for 16-18 year olds with a maximum capacity of 12 participants (date of birth must fall between 1st September 2008 – 25th October 2010).

You must live within the UK to be eligible.

NLE is an introductory to seagoing programme and you are not required to have any prior experience. If you have any of the listed qualifications, the course is not suitable for you.

If you are not eligible to apply to NLE, you can find more maritime course opportunities funded by Trinity House here.

Course Fees

The course fee is funded by Trinity House and UWC Atlantic. Other costs such as travel to UWC Atlantic, insurance, visas etc are not included.

Should you cancel with less than 2 weeks’ notice without an exceptional reason, you may be asked to pay a cancellation fee of up to £500. The NLE programme is a funded programme with very limited space so we expect all applicants to only apply if they can fully commit to attending the programme.

Application Process

You must complete the Application Form, which will also ask the following three questions:

• Describe yourself and the interests you have
• Have you ever wanted to try something like this before? What stopped you?
• Why does this programme matter to you personally, and what do you hope it will change for you?
• What’s something you’ve put time into outside of school or organised activities? What made it important to
  you?

These answers can be submitted via video or you can submit a written answer to the questions.

Application deadline is 31st August 2026, midnight BST.

All applications will be reviewed together after the closing date and applicants will be notified by end of day on Friday 16th September 2026.

Facilities

The Nautical Leadership Experience is a residential course at UWC Atlantic, based in a 12th Century castle by the sea in Wales. You’ll have opportunities to explore the beauty of South Wales and with a 122 acre site, including its own woodland, seafront, farm and valley.

Contact Us

If you need to get in touch, contact us by email info@uwcatlanticexperience.com or call (+44) 1446 799 000