Maritime Skills Availability Study

The following introduction is an extract from the document linked above:

Introduction

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority ("AMSA") is the national safety agency with responsibility for maritime safety, proection of the marine environment and aviation and maritime search and rescue.

There is anecdotal evidence that there is likely to be a downturn in the future availability within the Australian maritime industry of qualified and experienced seagoing personnel for positions requiring maritime skills. This deteriorating trend in maritime skills availability causes AMSA concern on a number of front:

* AMSA's ability to be able to recruit suitable personnel with seagoing qualifications and experience at a senior level in the future into operational and policy positions at both senior management and surveyor levels within the organisation;
* availability of suitably qualified and experienced seagoing personnel in relation to its responsibility for the regulation of coastal pilotage services under the Navigation Act 1912;
* ensuring the safety training and maritime qualifications of crew operating ships under the Navigation Act 1912 meet international convetion standards

Accordingly, Thompson Clarke Shipping Pty Ltd ("TCS") has been engaged by AMSA to undertake a Maritime Skills Availability Study ("the study").