January 14, 2002
For Shipping Gazette

New Zealand Maritime School Wins Millions in Overseas Contracts

The New Zealand Maritime School, part of the Manukau Institute of Technology in Auckland, has won over $2 million in overseas training contracts for 2003, beating some of the world's leading maritime training organisation competing for the work.

Director Tim Wilson says the school's success has been the result of a strategic plan to boost its income through marketing its expertise to the Asia Pacific region.

It has signed up nearly $1.5 million in training contracts with the Secretariat for the Pacific Community to provide in-country human resource development and to build up regional maritime training schools in the Pacific region.

It has also confirmed separate contracts with Tuvalu, Fiji, Kiribati and Samoa that will involve lecturers from the Maritime School conducting in-country training, as well as capacity and infrastructure building. Under pathways being developed under through these projects, students from these countries will be able to complete part of their studies in their home countries before completing higher level qualifications at the New Zealand Maritime School in Quay Street.

Captain Wilson says the New Zealand Maritime School beat off stiff competition for the work.

For example the Asian Development Bank contract in Tuvalu went out to an international tender involving 22 schools, finally coming down to a shortlist of four schools in Newfoundland, Rotterdam, Australia as well as the New Zealand Maritime School.

Tim Wilson says the prestigious contract confirms the Maritime School (operating in one guise or another since 1924) is now considered a leading provider of maritime training services in the Asia Pacific region.

"We've proved that New Zealand has the capability to be a major force in maritime training and industry management. Our efforts over the last few years have been focused on attracting the best staff from around the world to enable us to deliver leading-edge learning, both within New Zealand and throughout the region.

Over the previous two years, the Maritime School has won other hotly-contested contracts totaling $2.2 million to upskill more than 1400 people living in South Pacific countries on latest international maritime standards and practice.

The UK Government's Department made funding for these projects available for International Development and the Maritime School was one of probably six providers in Asia Pacific able to fulfill the contract requirements.

The countries involved were Samoa, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Marshall Islands, Fiji, Tonga, Federated States of Micronesia, Vanuatu and New Zealand. Fifteen staff from the school were involved in the delivery of the training, which covered topics including updates in navigation, engineering, crisis management, ship board medical treatment and satellite communications.

Captain Wilson, who has predicted a dire shortage of maritime personnel in New Zealand in the next decade, says interest in maritime training is increasing, with the school now accepting over 3000 enrolments each year and offering 105 different scheduled courses.

For further information:
Captain Tim Wilson
Director, New Zealand Maritime School
Telephone: 09 379 4997