On-the-job experience isn’t the only thing you need to get ahead in this ever more competitive industry. Training and certifications can give you that extra edge over the rest of the field, and in the past few years multiple schools have begun offering courses geared toward superyacht service. How, then, do you find the school with the courses best suited to furthering your career?

Yachting Pages, an industry directory of marinas and businesses, includes listings for crew placement agencies as well as maritime training schools and programs. Many of these programs have specializations, such as OMT Maritime Training’s medical and first-aid programs. OMT’s fast response and bespoke medical training classes are mobile and often conducted in popular yachting centers like Antibes, Palma and Antigua, or can be organized around a yacht’s schedule. Other schools, like the British Butler Institute, concentrate on excellence in service and being able to anticipate guests’ needs and wishes. Courses include language, concierge skills, deportment, flower arrangement and ambiance, wine and champagne presentation, dining protocol, packing and unpacking, as well as training in multicultural etiquette and international protocols.

The number of sailing superyachts is growing, so being knowledgeable of both motor and sailing yachts can also be a huge bonus. To this end, Miramar Sailing School in Jolly Harbour, Antigua, can help. Connected with the Royal Yachting Association of Great Britain, the Miramar Sailing School offers a variety of courses designed to improve sailing skills and gain hands-on experience.

For more schools and programs on Yachting Pages, visit yachtingpages.com

For more information about OMT Marine Training, visit tinyurl.com/yachtingpagesOMT or omt-uk.com

For more information about the British Butler Institute, visit tinyurl.com/YPbbi or britishbutlerinstitute.com

For more information about Miramar Sailing School, visit tinyurl.com/YPMiramar or miramarsailingschool.com