back to index ofchapters1. What could be two essential employee characteristics for successfulwork placement?
Ans. Most research into what employers want from new employees revealstwo essential elements - communication and good attitude.
2. What is a structured work placement?
Ans. In structured work placements, the marine teacher runs classes insome of the basic marine skills at school and then the students spend timewith the employer to learn some of these skills that are more appropriatelytaught in the workplace and practice and improve skills taught in the classroom.
3. What does the word 'competencies' refer to? Give an example of onecompetency.
Ans. The types of skills that are to be learned are grouped into competencieswhich are recognised in all states by the marine industry. For example oneof the competencies required to operate a marine radio is to: switch on,tune and operate VHF, HF and 27MHz marine radio transceivers.
4. What goes into a logbook?
Ans. Training competencies are then recorded in your training logbookby a workplace assessor.
5. Who is a workplace assessor?
Ans. This is a person in the workplace who has been trained to test yourskills and has substantial experience in the particular industry in whichthey are assessing.
6. When does a person become competent in performing a skill? Give anexample.
Ans. You will become competent when you can actually perform the task.For example, your skipper may ask you to get a weather report using theradio. If you are competent you will know when you can call, what radioand channel to select and how to make the call, write down the informationand deliver it to the skipper in neat handwriting
7. What are core course elements designed for? Give an example.
Ans. Core course elements (previously called modules) of a course aredesigned so that no matter where you work on a vessel, you are multiskilledin essential safety skills. Examples of these elements are occupationalhealth and safety, practical mariners skills, nautical knowledge, radiooperation, firefighting skills and first aid.
8. What is sea time and how is it recorded?
Ans. The maritime industry recognises that experience at sea is fundamentalto being a good employee. Every time you go to sea its a good idea to askthe ships master to log your time while you are at sea. This is usuallyrecorded in a special sea time log book provided by your local governmentmaritime office. Logged sea time is used as an entry into many maritimecourses.
9. What is a coxswain and what can they do?
Ans. A coxswain is a person who has a achieved a higher certificate andwho has many days experience at sea. They can be in charge of a vessel thattakes paying passengers.
10. What range of activities do most popular marine tours involve?
Ans. Most popular marine tours involve pleasure boat (including cruiseboats like that shown in Figure .1), snorkelling and diving tours, transportto the tour site (Figure .2), larger liner tours, sports fishing tours,whale and whale shark spotting and chartered sailing cruises.
11. What are some of the typical jobs at a tourist attraction centre?
Ans. Some of the jobs at a typical marine tourist attraction centre suchas Sea World or Underwater World are listed below.
Managerial Usually one manager and an assistant manager control dailyactivities and coordinate staff.
Office and clerical Secretaries and receptionists handle large volumesof phone bookings and enquiries plus associated paperwork. Completion ofa business course and good personal and computer skills are an advantageto getting a job in this area.
Technical Curators help maintain the health of all organisms in a centreby controlling their diets, monitoring water quality and quarantining endangeredanimals. To get these jobs you need a basic degree in marine biology plusboating and diving qualifications.
Trainers Training and managing the performance of the seals, dolphinsand, possibly, killer whales is a highly specialised job that needs a rangeof qualifications including degrees and extensive experience.
Trades people and/or technical assistants Centres usually needplumbers and fitters or people with maintenance skills to maintain aquariumsand service vehicles.
Sales assistants These centres sell a full range of souvenirsincluding t-shirts, postcards and ornaments. Jobs are available here forpeople with good personal communication skills.
Catering Cooking, preparing and retailing snack foods, main mealsand coffee and serving alcoholic drinks in licensed sections. You wouldneed to complete a hospitality course and be available for shift work tofind a job here.
Volunteers A large number of part-time volunteers, mostly studentsand retired people, help out in all areas of the centre: preparing animalfood; feeding aquarium fish; acting as guides for, answering questions fromand directing tourists; and also keeping an eye out for accidental damageto marine animals by visitors, especially children.
12. Name three qualifications that you can get at high school that areuseful in getting a job.
Ans. Many useful qualifications such as scuba certificates, radio andsmall craft proficiency and deckhand certificates can be obtained from highschool Marine Studies courses.
13. Outline the role of the Navy and what employment opportunities theyoffer.
Ans. The Navy is the part of our armed forces that defends our coastline.It is a self-sufficient organisation responsible for training all its personnel,including tradespeople, and providing university degrees for its officers.
Joining the navy involves passing a medical, showing suitability in aninterview, then completing an intense 3-month training course. After beingaccepted you must make a commitment to sign on for at least 6 years. Aftersigning on, you will be trained with full qualifications available in atrade or technical vocation. The range of vocations to choose from includes:mechanical fitting, diesel motor mechanics, welding, professional diving,electrical and electronics, radio and radar, chef and all boat-driving qualifications.There is also an officers training course, where initial selection afterinterview and medical is based on your Senior results. You need a high aggregateenter this course.
14. Outline which areas of job opportunities could be found in watersports.
Ans. This area includes all the water sports of sailing and power boating,swimming and surfing, jet skiing, sailboarding, diving and fishing.
15. Who do shipbuilders employ?
Ans. Boat and shipbuilders or shipwrights specialise in certain materialsin their construction processes. Most use only one or two materials. Thejobs in this industry are mostly for welders, carpenters, machine fittersand electricians.
16. Outline the steps from school to a qualified marine fitter.
Ans. At 16 enter a apprenticeship or pre-trade course, 3 year apprenticeshipwith 4 days on the job and 1 day at TAFE.
17. a. Describe the job of a marine engineer, and
b. The qualifications needed to become one
a. Running and maintaining motors, hydraulics and refrigeration.
b. Either Uni degree in engineering then sea time or advanced certificateand associate diploma in engineering from TAFE plus 18 months sea time.
18. Describe how to become a Marine Studies teacher at a high school.
Ans. You will need to complete Years 11 and 12 with good grades to beginto qualify for any job in this area. There are two types of qualificationto be a high school teacher. You must either complete a three-year bachelordegree course in a range of major subject areas such as marine biology plusa one-year diploma in education or complete a four-year Bachelor of Educationcourse at a recognised university. To widen your skills and improve youremployment prospects in marine teaching, a number of short duration certificatecourses are available on a part-time basis. Scuba diving and small craftproficiency courses, for example, can each be completed in four full daysor over two weekends.
19. What is the difference between a bachelor degree and a PhD?
Ans. Bachelor - 3 or 4 years full time study of a range of subjects,PhD - is at least 3 years further study in a specific area.
20. Describe the number of jobs available to marine biologists and comparethese with the number available in Marine science.
Ans. There are few jobs as a Marine biologist.
However Marine science offers many careers in education, research andtechnology. The research field covers all the science disciplines of biology,chemistry, geology, and physics plus related fields of engineering, geographyand mathematics. Professionals in these fields are involved in researchin fisheries, oceanography, archaeology and seafood technology. There isa great deal of fisheries research currently going on into aquaculture,the breeding and growing of marine animals under controlled conditions.Up until 1990, oysters and yabbies were the only significant species underaquaculture.
Since 1990, many other species have been farmed successfully, especiallythe larger fish such as barramundi and tuna, and lobster. The bulk of theresearch concentrates on finding the best diets and conditions to grow thespecies to suitable sizes for sale. The qualifications required for jobsin this area are at least a basic university degree, with most researchersneeding a doctorate in science.
21. Name four government departments associated with ports and outlinesome of their responsibilities.
Ans. Australian ports involve a number of state and federal governmentdepartments including the port authority, customs service, water policeand transport departments. Collectively, they are responsible for shippingmovements, loading and unloading goods, maintaining and enforcing marinequalifications and safety regulations and prohibiting the import/exportof illegal goods.
22. List some of the jobs available in ports and the qualifications neededfor each.
Managerial Control of operations and staff. Most employees at thislevel have tertiary qualifications and a good deal of experience.
Office/clerical Deal with the large volumes of necessary paperwork.Employees have usually completed Year 12 .
Service Drive and maintain vehicles such as forklifts, cranesand boats. Most people employed here are mechanical and electrical tradespeople and their semi-trained technical assistants.
Stevedoring Handle goods such as cars, trucks, containers,bulk grains, petroleum and livestock. These jobs are mostly unskilled andneed no formal qualifications. Some are semi-skilled and get their qualificationsthrough on-the-job training and short courses such as crane driving providedby outside contractors;
Security Protect goods awaiting export or pick up. Most securitypersonnel do not require formal qualifications and are trained on the job.
23. Name some marine employment opportunities in the area of local government.
Ans. Local authorities often employ lifeguards to patrol beaches. Otherjobs at the local government level involve beach litter control for whichyou would need to have a tractor licence, or jobs in water quality environmentalmonitoring where you would be responsible for controlling stormwater pollutionon beaches.
1. Select two of the following careers in the marine industry - Passengerferry deckhand, pleasure boat builder, ships pilot or professional commercialdiver;
For each, find out and write
a job description describing the daily duties and responsibilities and
the qualifications and/or experience you will need to enter this career.
Suggestions:
Write to or phone the Personnel Officer of the organisation you haveselected. Contact your school Vocational Education Coordinator.
2. Find out what the term flexible delivery means.
Suggestions:
Write to TAFE for a brochure.
3. Obtain a letter from your work experience or vocational educationschool co-ordinator and go out and do some work experience.
Suggestions:
Do it.
4. Find out and list the steps to becoming a dive instructor.
Suggestions:
Go to a dive shop and find out.
5. Find out what certificate level courses are available in the marinestudies field.
Suggestions:
Ask your teacher to contact your education department, group training,TAFE or ASTF coordinators.
6. Go to careers markets and university open days to find out what universitycourses are available in marine science.
Suggestions:
Just do it.
7. Search the university web pages and locate marine science courses.
Suggestions:
Use the search engine to locate local universities.
8. Arrange a visit to your local authority and see if you can do somework experience in beach protection.
Suggestions:
Just do it.
9. Visit the water police and find out what happens in their area.
Suggestions:
Just do it.
10. Arrange for a careers lesson at your school and invite a number ofguest speakers to give a 10-minute talk.
Suggestions:
Just do it.
11. Locate some past students who have got jobs in the marine industryand ask them back to school to give a talk.
Suggestions:
Just do it.
12. Read the newspaper and make up a marine jobs career chart for yourclassroom in which you stick up advertisements for jobs in that field.
Suggestions:
Just do it.
1. communication
2. attitude
3. competencies
4. logbook
5. certificate
6. assessed
7. provider
8. interpretive
9. gas fitters
10. machinists
11. technical designers
12. shipwrights
13. welders
14. carpenters
15. machine fitters
16. electricians