Direction of seafarer training the focus of industry meeting
Australian Maritime University
May 20 2013
The Australian Maritime College’s Ports & Shipping Strategic Industry Group (SIG) met in Launceston on Friday, 17 May to discuss the major issues affecting the maritime industry.
The group consists of high-level key industry stakeholders, and its purpose is to provide AMC senior staff with guidance and direction on seafarer and related maritime industry training.
The meeting addressed the options for seafarer training across Australia, including the implications from the Federal Government’s recently released Australian Maritime Workforce Development Strategy.
The strategy was developed in response to the findings of a maritime census that confirmed the seagoing workforce is ageing. It provides the government with 14 recommendations to prevent a national workforce shortage.
This strategy will influence what training AMC delivers with the $12 million VET (vocational education and training) funding boost announced by Prime Minister Julia Gillard on May 2.
Options include delivering seafaring, maritime logistics, marine engineering and port operation training across Australia, including through partnerships with interstate training providers and industry groups.
The meeting also discussed the additional $5 million Federal Government funding to assist the existing Australian shipping fleet meet its future workforce training needs. This will include meeting the growing demand within the oil and gas industry and possible collaboration with the Royal Australian Navy.
AMC Principal, Neil Bose said: “The work of the SIG is aimed at answering the questions such as: is AMC going in the right direction; and can AMC’s operations and delivery of training be improved?
“It was clear from the discussions that the maritime industry is strongly supportive of AMC and the training that it provides. We highly value the input that the SIG members have provided to this discussion.”
The members of AMC’s SIG are: Chair Tony Wilks (Tony Wilks & Associates Pty Ltd), Dr Darryl Hull (Transport & Logistics Centre), Tony Cousins (PB Towage), Simon Earle (Maritime Employees Training Ltd), Tim Asome (ASP Ship Management), Mal Larsen (Australian Maritime Safety Authority), Rod Pickett (Maritime Union of Australia) and David Anderson (Ports Australia).