The Australian Maritime College (AMC) is teaming up with industry and the peak body for the engineering profession, Engineers Australia, to provide formal recognition to the profession of maritime engineering in Australia for the first time.
As Australia’s national institute for maritime education, training and research, AMC has advocated for a new ‘Area of Practice’ through Engineers Australia, which will provide a distinct identity for maritime engineers, enabling their continuous professional development and a formal pathway to a Chartered Engineer status.
Associate Professor Vikram Garaniya is the Director at the Centre for Maritime Engineering and Hydrodynamics at AMC, based at the University of Tasmania’s Newnham Campus.
He said this was an important step in recognising the critical role maritime engineers play in the broader Australian workforce.
“We have been teaching maritime engineering at AMC since 1980 – more than 40 years – and while there are ample job opportunities for our graduating students, the visibility of the profession is still quite low, both within the engineering industry and beyond,” Associate Professor Garaniya said.
Maritime engineering is a discipline and profession dealing with anything associated with ocean water. This includes:
- Trade and ocean-based transport: the world’s cheapest mode of long-distance transport;
- resource extraction: oil and gas, minerals, energy, and seafood and aquaculture; and
- strategic defence.
AMC Principal, Mal Wise AM, said maritime engineering had a crucial role to play in driving security and prosperity for Australia.
“As an island nation, 80 per cent of all Australians live close to the ocean and more than 95 per cent of all trade is conducted through ports, so it’s clear we need to focus on how to support the people and organisations operating in these blue spaces.
“The Australian government has also identified this field as important through the recent Defence Strategic Review and has developed programs focused on building associated skills and research capacity for the AUKUS and continuous naval shipbuilding programs, the blue economy, and decarbonisation of the maritime sector,” Mr Wise said.
As part of the process of gaining formal recognition for maritime engineering, Engineers Australia has launched a consultation period for industry, education institutes and government to help shape the new Area of Practice.
Engineers Australia CEO Romilly Madew AO said once approved, the newArea of Practice within Engineers Australia would provide a home for maritime engineers who deal with ocean structures, systems, coastal environments, and inland waterways.
“We are proud to recognise and support maritime engineering and to support our nation building through maritime engineering activities,” Ms Madew said.
“A dedicated Area of Practice in maritime engineering can facilitate recognition of an engineer’s qualifications, experience and expertise relevant to maritime engineering, and it will soon be possible to become a Chartered Engineer in Maritime Engineering.”
Associate Professor Garaniya said the new initiative would have a long-lasting impact on AMC’s graduates, industry and community.
Learn more about the industry Areas of Practice or contact Engineers Australia at aop@engineersaustralia.org.au to provide input into the maritime engineering consultation process.