Working in the maritime industry can be a rewarding and exciting career pathway with a wide range of job opportunities to choose from. Seafarers and mariners work on and around the waterfront, in marinas and boatsheds, on commercial barges, fishing vessels, passenger ferries and on tourist charter boats, just to name a few.
Kristy Dowling works for CatchaCrab, an adventure tourism operator on the Tweed River. She loves working outdoors in a natural environment and enjoys the diversity her job offers. “Each day is different because we deal with people as well as the changing weather conditions and tides. A big part of my job is berthing, casting off and anchoring. I also take care of the passengers by making sure they safely get on and off the vessel, and by providing them with information. There’s a lot to do when it comes to keeping the vessel clean, safe and seaworthy. Working well with a crew is important, too. A good deckhand is someone who’s prepared to get in and carry out their share of the work.”
Kristy recently completed her General Purpose Hand course with Sea School. She says, “I had a great trainer. He was passionate about teaching and sharing his own experiences as a seafarer, which made the course more enjoyable. The training was really relevant to what I do every day at work and I feel more confident now that I’ve done the shipboard safety element, which is actually a requirement for working in this industry.”
Daryl Jurd is a graduate who started his career in the industry with a General Purpose Hand qualification. He went on to get both his Coxswain Grade 1 and Exemption 38 licences. “I work for Transport NSW, overseeing the safety and quality of some of their maritime infrastructure projects. I use my Deckhand and Coxswain competencies on the job. The AMSA regulations and the basic safety training are essential to my work on board our vessels.”
If you are interested in starting a maritime career, or you are already in the industry and need a qualification, take a look at Sea School’s courses. General Purpose Hand is the entry-level commercial course for the maritime industry. Other courses on offer are Coxswain Grades 1 and 2, Marine Radio, Elements of Shipboard Safety and Exemption 38, which is for operators who work in near coastal waters with low complexity duties.
Having the right qualification under your belt can make a big difference to where you go in your career. Tina Sullivan worked on ferries as a General Purpose Hand for two years before completing her Coxswain Grade 1. “I’m now employed in the Whitsundays as a Coxswain, driving rigid inflatable boats (RIB) of various lengths. Sea School gave me a lot of encouragement to follow my dreams in the industry and I’d like to thank them for that. Their courses really helped me turn my love of boating into a professional career in the maritime industry.”
One of the great things about studying with Sea School is that their course delivery is flexible and students can complete their courses in blocks over a period of time. They also offer students the option to re-sit any part of their course before sitting the AMSA Certificate of Competency oral examination.
Next intake dates for Tweed Heads are 21 November 2016 and 20 February 2017. For more information, go to www.seaschool.com.au or call 1300 666 416. Payment plans are available on request.
