This month, Consort Express Lines welcomed the return of 14 newly certified Deck and Engine Officers, recently graduating from the Fiji Maritime Academy in Suva, Fiji. The company-sponsored officers obtained their Officer of the Watch certification after completing a 14-month course abroad.
“We’re happy to welcome the next generation of officers and maritime logistics experts… Consort Express Lines is proud as a company which continues to upskill our staff through consistent training courses and further education.” said Edward Fitzgerald, Marine Manager at Consort Express Lines.
“It is inspiring to see such a large group of hard-working Papua New Guinean cadets put everything into their studies, and in turn their careers in PNG’s maritime sector”
“After all the hard work put into setting up the system to get the cadets to Fiji, it’s great to see them returning as qualified officers of such a high caliber, this will benefit Consort for years to come and hopefully inspire other PNG seafarers and young adults to choose this career path” added Fitzgerald.
The influx of certified junior officers will greatly contribute to the development of Consort’s Deck and Engine Departments as each graduate has received the best training in the Pacific-region and will now embark on furthering their careers in PNG’s maritime industry. The courses included training such as Bridge Resource Management training, Engine Room Resource Management training and comprehensive simulator training sessions. Obtaining their Officer of the Watch certificates will now allow the officers to sail up to 2nd Officer (Deck) and 3rd Officer (Engine) on Consort’s fleet of multipurpose vessels.
Deck Watchkeeping Officer, Jason Coppard, said, “I’m looking forward to putting everything we learnt to use, we’re here to give our best and to keep learning… I’m also hoping to share what I have learnt from my studies at the Fiji Maritime Academy with my fellow workmates on board the vessels.”
Although 2020 proved to be a challenging year for the maritime industry across the globe with shipping companies being hit hard by the pandemic, Consort Express Lines have continued to actively develop the training standards of our crew and seafarers across Papua New Guinea.
“Long-term investments in our people, infrastructure and technology have always been at the forefront of the company’s success and Consort Express Lines will continue to do so, while providing safer, more reliable service delivery to our customers and stakeholders,” said Fitzgerald.
The officers began their courses as cadets under unusual circumstances during the early stages of the global pandemic, with sudden restrictions and forced lockdowns pushing the college to move studies online with certain classes taught via Zoom.
Engine Room Watchkeeping Officer, Michael Michael, said the experience was “challenging for all of us as individuals and as a group at times, but we supported one another and returned with good results, achieving what we went there for.”
Following current health regulations, the cadets underwent a two-week quarantine period upon returning to Papua New Guinea and will begin their sea-time service on our vessels at the end of the month.
