Seven port State control officers from the Maldives, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and Indonesia spend a week at AMSA's Canberra office, sharing their operational tactics and approach to policy, followed by real life inspections in Melbourne.
Indonesia Ministry of Transport sent two officers, Captain Putri Melani and Dini Novitasari, as their delegation to attend the full program.
Captain Putri, whose career kicked off in Jakarta 16 years ago, quickly progressed to first officer of a cargo ship, before she traded 13-month voyages, for time off to have her child.
It wasn't long before she set her sights on the captain's cap.
'At first I liked the uniform, but really I enjoy the job and there's no traffic jams,' Putri joked.
'In Indonesia, it's not unusual for women to be in senior positions, there are more opportunities for women,' she said.
'I enjoy the responsibility I have now but these days I will just do four or five days between ports.'
Flag State marine inspector, Dini Novitasari, started out as a naval architect in 2003 and soon realised a maritime role was ideal for her.
'Indonesia is an archipelago country, so there's always plenty to do in the domestic maritime area,' Dini said.
'Putri and I were chosen to come here and study by our government's Ship Safety Inspection Centre of Excellence and we have learned so much.
'I've enjoyed learning more about shipping certifications and the technical and policy work that AMSA does, so when I go home I will be telling my colleagues that we need to be consistent and use checklists for our inspections.'
Find out more about the Maritime Professional Development Program.