All at sea

By ALICE SHOPLAND

Up to $2.19 billion worth of ship and cargo can be riding on the decisions 26-year-old Catherine Swan makes at work.

And if Olga Orlov makes a slight error in her paperwork, a multi-million dollar shipment of New Zealand meat could be rejected at a foreign port.

Careers which revolve around the sea and shipping are becoming more specialised and are carrying more responsibility.

Orlov, a Russian, was the top 2001 graduate of the New Zealand Maritime School's diploma in shipping and freight, and now works as a documentation officer for a company which sends New Zealand meat to North America.

"Any inconsistencies in the documentation can lead to our cargo being rejected overseas," says Orlov, who had previously done similar work in Russia and the Middle East.

"Absolute accuracy is required to make the movement of goods go smoothly through other countries' import regulations."

Catherine Swan has always wanted to work at sea, and started her career as a Spirit of Adventure cadet.

She works now as a third mate on container ships for P & O Nedlloyd, which is sponsoring study for her ship's master qualification at the school.

She spent her school holidays on a large container ship, travelling to Hong Kong and the United States.

She hones her navigation skills in the maritime school's realistic bridge simulator, which can give trainees the experience of guiding almost any vessel - from a six-metre inflatable to a 400,000-tonne container ship - into ports such as Sydney and New York.

As for the excitement of seeing exotic parts of the world beyond the simulated bridge, "well, you get to see the container terminals of the world," she laughs.

Working a constant cycle of four hours on and eight hours off for the whole eight to 12 weeks of the voyages means there's never much time for sightseeing. Fortunately, she loves being at sea. But extended periods with only the same dozen or so crew can pall, especially as she's usually the only woman on board.

"It'd be great if there were more women in this industry," she says. "There's no reason why not - it's not a physically demanding job any more."

Her qualification is relevant to all types of ship, and Swan, who graduates soon, may make the shift to cruise ships with the aim of travelling to Antarctica.

Tim Wilson is the director of the maritime school, which is part of the Manukau Institute of Technology but operates from a central city building with, appropriately, views of Auckland harbour.

He says demand sees many of his shipping and freight students snapped up by employers before the end of their course.

"International trade is becoming more and more important in most economies," he says. "And because there's so much value at stake, there's a real incentive to have the right people."

A high level of responsibility is the norm for the school's graduates, Wilson says, and that's reflected in the way the courses operate. "We look for people who are self-motivated, dynamic and responsible."

Students enrol with the school from countries including India, Sri Lanka, Fiji, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Samoa and Tonga - and the school's tutors regularly conduct short courses in various Pacific nations.

Travel is part of the industry's attraction for Lance Cunningham, 20, who graduates with a diploma in shipping and freight at the end of this year and has already been offered several jobs.

He realised the potential of the industry when he was working on deliveries of office furniture.

"Transport of goods is very varied now and very important," he says, "and this is a very versatile qualification worldwide. My parents have just moved to the United States, and I may go and work there when I graduate."

Tim Wilson says many graduates work for multinational companies who help them do their OE within the company. And he says that because of the way the industry now operates, most people don't stay at sea for their entire careers.

"Most people will end up in shore-based roles, so it appeals to a wider range of people. You're not committed to spending your whole working life at sea.

New Zealand Maritime School