You go like live and work for Antarctica? - Chefs, plumbers, electricians and oda available jobs

UK and US research facilities for Antarctica dey on di hunt for di next batch of workers wey go "go south".

You no need to be scientist, as vacancies dey available for everything from carpenters, to electricians, chefs, and even hairdresser work. But you go fit cope wit di cold and isolation?

Since e leave im hometown of Wigan for di north of England at di age of 19, Dan McKenzie don work for plenty far places around di world.

Now 38, di former marine engineer most remote and challenging role by far na im current job as di station leader for di Halley VI Research Station for Antarctica.

Dis na one of di five facilities for di icy continent wey di British Antarctic Survey (BAS), UK polar research institute dey operate.

BAS dey take up to 150 new recruits for Antarctica each year. While specialist science and engineering roles form di backbone, around 70% of di jobs na operational roles wey dey required to keep di stations functioning.

In addition to di likes of electricians and chefs, di workforce include medics, doctors and plumbers.

Di salaries start at £31,244 per annum, wit travel, accommodation, meals and gear to withstand di extreme temperatures wey dem go provide.

In total, some 5,000 pipo dey work for di Antarctica during dia summer months, across 80 research stations wey about 30 countries dey operate.

Both BAS plus dia American equivalent, di US Antarctic Program, dey advertise dia jobs online. BAS also dey hold open day for March.

But dos wey dey enticed by di call of adventure must ensure say dem know wetin dem dey sign up for.

Fresh food dey scarce and alcohol dey limited. And accommodation for BAS facilities na shared dormitories. Staff dey work on a seven-day shift rota.

BAS selection process dey test for conflict-handling and problem-solving abilities, wey dey followed by thorough pre-deployment training for successful candidates.

McKenzie bin work im way up to di job of station leader afta e complete im first contract "on di ice" for 2019. E bin start as a mechanical maintenance engineer for BAS Rothera Research Station, 1,000 miles away from Halley VI.

Im station leader role involve to dey manage supplies, health and safety, and training. McKenzie also gatz provide emotional support to di team wen issues like isolation and interpersonal conflict in close quarters get too much.

"Pipo go come your office and say dem no dey get very good day, or sometin happun for house and you gatz try see how you fit support dem. Di challenges dey different."

McKenzie na one of di 120 BAS employees in total wey dey for Antarctica for di summer season wey go soon end. Most of dem including McKenzie, go return to di UK by di end of May, yet up to 50 go stay for di darkness of winter.

McKenzie dey responsible for a team of 40 pipo wey base for Halley VI for Antarctica summer season from November to di middle of February.

BAS stations dey monitor different aspects of wildlife plus di environment.

Halley VI dey focused on space and atmospheric data, e also dey study di Brunt Ice Shelf on which it's located close to the coast, and di hole for di Earth ozone layer.

Di team no only dey experience extreme cold, but summer for Antarctica also dey come wit non-stop daylight, di sunset fit last for weeks.

Apart from di physical challenges - and di cold - na di close proximity to colleagues, and structured routine, fit cause di most issues for pipo, according to Mariella Giancola, BAS head of HR. She say e be like "going back to uni".

"We see plenty pipo wey dey always say, 'I no get problem dealing wit pipo'. And den dem realise say dem no dey comfortable sharing spaces wit oda pipo.

"E dey important to dey comfortable wit di fact say you no go get any privacy becos pipo dey right in your face. Den dem go move from di freedom wey dem get for house, to one station leader wey go dey tell dem about rules and regulations. A small number of pipo dey struggle wit dat."

Dr Duncan Precious na one clinical psychologist wey bin serve for dat role for both di British and Australian armed forces, from 2013 to 2020. Now, e be di clinical director and resilience consultant for defence consultancy, CDS Defence & Security.

While di potential for physical hazards for Antarctica dey high, Precious say social dynamics fit prove more problematic. Wen relationships break down, di fallout fit dey hard to rectify, and hard to control, e tok.

E tok say, though, di type of wey go like to live and work for Antarctica go need fit manage wetin e call "good stress" - di kain wey pipo wey like to serve for di military go get.

Despite di physical and emotional demands of di job, McKenzie say nothing be like di incredible experiences e get - as well as di satisfaction of contributing to environmental research.

"Wen I first reach hia, e bin dey hard to dey share room wit pipo, plus di weather no too nice. For di first month I bin say, 'maybe dis thing no dey for me'," e tok.

"But den you start to get out, and you see whales, seals and islands on boats, and den little trips out in small aircraft.

And you think, 'dis dey pretty brilliant'. Dis year, I dey so lucky to see one emperor penguin colony. E be like sometin from one David Attenborough documentary."