“I’ve always been interested in fishing and diving and doing a bit of sailing when I was growing up. I thought it would be a cool way to extend that hobby into a career.??All the instructors are A grade. Top of the line.

A lot of the practical learning is done in the simulator. There’s fairly realistic situations the lecturers can put you into. They can turn up the sea, they can reduce the visibility. They can put you in quite a hectic situation which really makes you think on your feet. Much like the real world could be.

My ideal job would be working on a boat, going cool places, preferably warm, and being able to see some pretty cool places around the country and around the world eventually.

Studying at NZMS is definitely worth it. It’s a good way to progress and it can lead to some pretty cool opportunities in the marine industry.”

Jack Abbott
NZMS student

“I’ve spent most of my life growing up, on and around water. My old man worked in the fishing industry and is a skipper.

I was living on Stewart Island so for me I wasn’t able to come here for three months with work, so the distance learning, doing it all online played a huge role in me actually being able to do this course.

Having a career at sea means you get to experience things you can’t experience because there are no roads. Seeing whales, seeing dolphins, penguins are not uncommon. Every year we’d see a few whales as we travel up the coast. You get to experience a lot of what NZ is meant to be like. Getting away from all these big cities. Experiencing the nature and peacefulness of it all.

Most of maritime is hands-on experience. You always learn under a particular skipper. So you learn their way of doing things. But by coming here you’re learning the standard of the industry. It gives you that theoretical knowledge of why you’re doing something.

There are 7 simulators with one that is practically a boat. So that’s great hands-on because you can operate in low visibility with targets. It’s the most realistic way of learning how to do a lot of these things without actually being on a boat.

There’s quite a lot of work out there if you’re able to get experience.”

Nic Marshall
NZMS student

“I’ve never been a student, I was a little bit on the fence about it but once I got here everything just worked out perfectly. I’ve just learnt so much more from being here.

There’s about 20 plus of us most of the time on the course.??It is a good number. There’s also people from different backgrounds and other courses incorporated into the modules which is really good because you get people who have been in completely different circumstances. We have fishermen, we have sailors, and we have people doing their Skipper Coastal Offshore.

The thing I love about the course here at the NZMS is they do put a lot of theory into practice.??We spent two weeks in the computer laboratory room learning the programmes, especially the electronic chart display and GPS, all of our navigational aids, and radar set up. Then we come into the bridge and put it all into practice which has been really helpful.?

We also get put into emergency situations which obviously day to day in our jobs, you hope you don’t really come across. For example, a full search and rescue where each boat had a full search pattern and we had to follow that, follow the instructions, and search for a life raft with a person who we did ultimately find.??Something like that is really helpful because in the real world if that does happen, we will have this hands-on training to refer back to.”

Kate Williamson
NZMS student

“My old man has been in the merchant navy for most of his life and his father before him so it was a natural progression for me. I went into the fishing industry and haven’t looked back.

I enjoy the simulator the most at NZMS. The hands-on approach. Building up confidence for real-life scenarios. It’s hard being away from the family, but when you are home you’ve got a comfortable lifestyle and your family is able to see you. Get amongst it. It’s good fun. It’s definitely a good career path. It pays good.”

Sam Mitchell
NZMS student

“We’ve got a really wide variety of domestic maritime programmes. We have a couple of programmes like the super yacht certificate that are really good for people entering the industry who don’t have any industry experience. The rest of our programmes are really geared towards people who are already in industry and are actually doing at-work learning and workplace learning.??So they could be for people who are working for ferry companies, tug operators, coastal research vessels, all the way through to the inshore fishing fleet, offshore fleet and we do have programmes for super yacht, chief mate and master.

Everything that we are talking about in the theoretical aspect has a practical application on the vessel. So even though we talk about theory it’s actually put into practice. One of the things we’re talking about is in the simulator here. We can talk about theoretical collision, prevention regulations, all sorts of things like that, but it’s actually doing it in something like the simulator that makes the difference. So where it can be, it’s always reinforced in a practical sense.

One of the things about working on-board a vessel is that you do have a routine but your routine is punctuated by difference every day. So even though you have a solid routine that runs through your ship when you’re navigating from A to B, things change all the time. So it’s always quite exciting.??You never quite know what’s happening or coming up. When you look out your window you’re in an amazing environment that changes all the time.”

Louise Deehan-Owen
NZ Maritime School Senior Lecturer

“My value of success lies in being passionate about my career, and I couldn’t think of a more rewarding lifestyle than to work at sea and discover the world from a perspective that a lot of people aren’t able to.?

The exciting aspect about this industry is that there is a variety of paths you can take to achieve the sea-going lifestyle you desire, and at NZMS every day in the classroom is inspiring.??

Like any career, you must start somewhere, but as long as you keep your end goal in mind, the motivation to continue through the hard work will be rewarding.??

I am excited for the day that I graduate with my mates masters’ qualification and eventually work my way up to the role of chief officer and one day captain.”

Maya Brown
NZMS student

“I wanted to turn my passion for the ocean into a dynamic and flexible career.

The more I get involved with the school the more I realise the potential opportunities further down the line in the maritime industry. It’s exciting to think where I might end up in the future and it all starts here. Do the hard work and reap the rewards in the future.

Since I have started studying at the New Zealand Maritime School, I was interested in how they would perform against other educators on the world stage! I was pleasantly surprised by how professional, highly trained, and friendly the school staff are. They are a group of people that are passionate in their areas of expertise and want to see the students succeed. ”

Caven Lane
NZMS student

“I have always had an affinity for the ocean growing up on the coastline, so I wanted to choose a career that would allow me to stay on or around the water.

I’m looking forward to travelling around the world, I have always wanted to see the dynamics of how countries work outside of the eye of being a tourist.

I’m also looking forward to the lifestyle of being a sailor. As a first-year cadet of the school, NZMS is helping me by giving me hands-on experience with the simulators and the trips to the port that allow me to see the particulars of port operations and I highly recommend it to anyone that is interested in joining the maritime industry.”

Connor Waszak
NZMS student

“My interest in the maritime industry grew when I got my first job working hospitality on the Cook Strait Ferries. After about 8 months into the job, I began thinking about the whole industry. I remember seeing the bridge and was simply amazed by the technology, equipment, and more importantly, the people. This is the workplace I wanted, I started searching online when NZMS popped up.??

I gave it a few weeks thought and applied, I’m so glad I applied to do this. The tutors are fantastic at helping each and every student through the challenges whether that’s practical such as knots, lifeboat driving or the theory side of things such as physics and maths.”

Dathan Barkhausen
NZMS student

“I have for a long time known I wanted a career at sea, having a strong love for the ocean. I researched the maritime industry and determined that studying at NZMS would be the best fit for me.??

Considering study with NZMS was at first intimidating as I know the maritime industry is heavily male-dominated. I wasn’t sure if I would be given the opportunity (as a female) to achieve the goals I had set for myself.

This is my first year at NZMS, but I feel I have learned so much so far. I love that women are not only encouraged to be involved but are also encouraged to lead in this field.

I’m excited now more than ever for what the future has in store for me in this industry. ”

Toria Maladina
NZMS student

“A career in the maritime industry has allowed me to work whilst travelling the world. The NZMS gave the additional merchant navy training that is not covered in the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN). The training at the NZMS was engaging and provided a great insight into the exciting career opportunities within the maritime industry. Conducting training towards the Diploma in Nautical Science has allowed me the opportunity to work towards an international unlimited Deck Watchkeeping Qualification. ”

Sam Fox
NZMS graduate

“Here I can turn my passion into a career.

Ever since I was a child, I’ve been sailing, whether it was a Tallship race on the Baltic Sea or a dinghy race in New Zealand. I’ve always loved being on the water, navigating, exploring, or reading the wind and weather. With the help of the NZMS, I can turn my passion into a career.

A??career in the maritime industry holds many great opportunities. My ideal career would be working on an icebreaker or offshore supply vessel. I would like to go to places where not many people have been, do things that few people have done. In the shipping industry, both are possible.

I really like the people I am working and learning with, the teachers are friendly, supportive, and have a lot of experience in a large variety of fields. The school is well equipped, and so far, being in the simulators has been my favourite part.”

Onno Owen Kutsch
NZMS student