Industry MSTI eyed over training program

FIVE successful grantees have been appointed to train the next generation of Australian seafarers, as part of the Commonwealth’s Maritime Skills and Training Initiative (MSTI).

MSTI is to give trainees and cadets the sea time they need to qualify for international certification.

Currently, access to sea time is said to be a major hurdle for many new graduates from institutions like the Australian Maritime College.

MSTI is to help grow Australia’s sovereign maritime workforce, ensuring the skills and capabilities to operate maritime services into the future.

It is a $13.8 million investment, with funding to support more than 20 trainee and cadet seafarers each year over the next four years.

The successful applicants for MSTI are:

• Teekay Shipping (Australia) Pty Ltd
• Maritime Employees Training Limited
• Boluda Towage (Australia) Pty Ltd
• Siera Marine Management Pty Ltd
• Sea Swift Pty Ltd

The grant funding is to help cover training costs such as wages, accommodation, food and transportation.

Eligible roles include integrated rating trainees and cadets across deck, engine and electro technical officer streams.

MSTI is a central component of the government’s broader program of work that aims to revitalise the Australian maritime industry.

This includes the Strategic Fleet Pilot Program, cracking down on wage theft aboard foreign-flagged ships, and reviewing the Coastal Trading Act.

Infrastructure and transport minister Catherine King said the government understood the importance of the maritime industry.

“Eighty per cent of Australian imports and exports by value come and go on our seas, trained seafarers are critical our economy, our security and our modern way of life,” Ms King said.

Federal training minister Andrew Giles said for future cadets and trainees of the Maritime Skills and Training Initiative, this was “a first step into a career that will take them all over Australia – and perhaps even worldwide”.

“These trainees will go on to be our future harbour masters, marine pilots and safety officers who are critical to Australia’s trade and security functions,” Mr Giles said.

Maritime Industry Australia chief executive Angela Gillham said maritime skills were “a strategically important skillset that is essential to the economic well-being and national security of an island nation”.

“While modest in scale, the MSTI program is an important step forward in building our sovereign maritime capability and represents a critical mindset shift in the national interest,” Ms Gillham said.

“MSTI funding will help seafaring trainees to access berths on large commercial ships to ensure they can accumulate the required ‘sea time’ (on the job training) to obtain their initial certificate of competency to join the Australian seafaring workforce and progress to more highly skilled and complex roles.

“MIAL is dedicating significant effort and resources to advocacy on strategic maritime skills development in Australia with a vision to reform maritime training for the collective interest of the industry and in the national interest of Australia.”

Siera Marine Management managing director Samual Coote said the program would play an important role in building Australia's maritime workforce capability.

“Access to sea time remains one of the most significant barriers for aspiring seafarers,” Mr Coote said.

“This program allows us to work closely with vessel operators and industry partners to create training opportunities that support certification and long-term careers at sea.

“By increasing access to qualifying sea-time placements, we are helping increase the number of qualified Australian seafarers entering the industry while supporting the long-term capability of Australia's maritime workforce.”