Minister opens Maritime Simulator

Minister opens Maritime Simulator

Minister of Transport and Tertiary Education, Hon Steven Joyce congratulated NZ Maritime School at the official launch of the recently installed Full Mission Engine Room Simulator, at the training facility on the Auckland waterfront.

NZ Maritime School (NZMS) facilities offer a unique ‘real-life’ training experience for both marine engineer and navigation cadets in New Zealand, who deliver essential skills to our domestic and foreign cargo and shipping industries,” says Captain Kees Buckens, programme leader at NZMS run by Manukau Institute of Technology.

Captain Buckens says their investment in the newly acquired equipment assists the NZMS to respond to the skills shortage issue in the domestic freight industry as identified in the government’s ‘Seachange’ project and it also ensures cadets are ahead of the new requirements for engine room resource management training currently under review by the International Maritime Organisation.

NZ Maritime School holds the distinguished position of the country’s only training facility with full ship and engine room simulators.

“We are committed to providing learning opportunities that are as close to the real working environment as possible. The simulators take that achievement to a higher level,” says Captain Tim Wilson, Director of the NZMS.

Students of the school experience the reality of shipboard working life in the simulators whether on the bridge with the captain or operating the equipment down in the engine rooms, just as they would on any of the world’s 52,000 vessels at sea.

The school is strategically located on Quay St, Auckland, overlooking the wharf and attracts youth chartered for a career at sea as either marine engineer or navigation officers.

“Those of us, who have been in the industry for many years, envy the unique training in high tech facilities available to young trainees now,” adds Captain Kees Buckens.

ENDS

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