Brendan Newton-Wade enjoys the mix of theory and practice.
Qualification: Diploma of Marine Engineering.
Where: Manukau Institute of Technology - New Zealand Maritime School.
Contacts: 0800 744 722 or (09) 379 4997, email: maritime@manukau.ac.nz, web: www.maritime.com or www.manukau.ac.nz
Entry requirements: Minimum of 48 NCEA Level 2 credits or equivalent, including minimum of 14 credits of maths or physics and a minimum of eight specified English credits. No previous sea experience required. Must meet Maritime New Zealand marine engineering officer medical and eyesight standards. All applicants interviewed.
International students: IELTS 6 overall, no score below 5.5.
Closing dates: December 1. Late applications considered.
Intake: Up to 24 students; 2008 intake is 14.
Tertiary fees 2008: $5500 including visa costs etc.
Starting salary: $55,000-$60,000.
Kiwis can enter a seagoing career in international shipping through The New Zealand Maritime School's marine engineering diploma. It is a long process though; three years for the initial qualification with at least another three years to gain the next certification required.
Students begin studying topics such as
shipboard familiarity, basic sea survival and fire fighting, as well as maritime maths, physics and engineering.
By the third year, they're studying mechanical technology, naval architecture (ventilation and drainage, ship stresses, rudder, ship construction), marine engineering mathematics and thermodynamics.
Students attend school from February to August, before heading to sea until November. While at sea, they continue to work on assignments. Over the three years, students must do a least nine months' sea time to gain the internationally recognised Marine Engineer Class 3 qualification and the academic part of Class 2 and 1.
It takes another 36 months to reach chief engineer status.
MIT lecturer Kees Buckens says all students who pass the academic work and cope at sea will get a job.
GRADUATE
Brendan Newton-Wade (23)
Third year engineer cadet
I'm in my third and final year of study, so I've completed my sea time and I'm now doing the theoretical year which is basically maths and physics.
There are nine cadets in my year. We started with 14 and five dropped out before we went to sea the first time.
My first time at sea I was away 5 1/2 months on P&O's Oceania, which carries just over 2000 passengers. There were five from my class and about 60 engineers.
I wasn't lonely because there were a lot of people around but it was difficult keeping in touch with people back home when you're on the other side of the world. Initially you do have to dig into yourself at times.
When we got back after our first time away we all talked about how we'd had our low moments but none of us wanted to drop out.
The ships are pretty high-tech. As cadet officers, we do practical, hands-on stuff. We work with the ship's propulsion - engines and pumps - and the ships' passenger services such as sewage, air-conditioning, water treatment, waste treatment.
You also have to deal with the guests on the ships; something you don't deal with on a tanker ship. Tanker ships have less services but their cargo pumps and winches and things like that are bigger and more sophisticated than a passenger ship.
Our study continued at sea with assignments about specific things on board, such as systems, operations and management. I really like the combination of practice and theory. You know, in the classroom you can't learn how to manage a team of people, but when you're on board you see how people react and how things work and quickly learn from your mistakes. You can really see the difference in your knowledge after being on board a couple of months.
The hardest part was giving up soccer and not being part of a sports team. You can't when you're going away like we do.
EMPLOYER
Don Millar
Carnival UK (international cruise line company including P&O Cruises, Cunard Line, Princess Cruises)
Senior manager recruitment, training and cadets
We look for cadets with an inquisitive attitude about how things work, a good team attitude and mutual respect for others.
We have been working closely with the college [Maritime School] in New Zealand to develop this engineering training programme. Because of the college's long traditional links with seafaring in New Zealand, we are confident of the programme's success.
The training follows the traditional phased modular approach of theory and practical application mixed between college and sea training.
This balances the academic standards to be maintained but also incorporates the specific training that the employer requires.
Although we've not had enough cadets qualify from the programme to be able to fully evaluate their skills as marine engineers, the early feedback from the training managers on board suggest this training will provide quality marine engineers.
According to Brendan's performance review on the Grand Princess, he is a very good all-round engineering cadet who has the makings of an exciting engineering officer.
