Australian sea-time support scheme targets shortage of qualified seafarers

Stolt Tankers Australian crew management and maritime workforce solutions provider Siera Marine Management has been awarded funding under the Australian government’s Maritime Skills and Training Initiative (MSTI) to deliver a major program to increase the number of qualified seafarers. The Australian Maritime Workforce Development – Sea Time Support Project will provide qualifying sea-time placements for 49 trainees and cadets between 2026 and 2028. The initiative supports the Australian government’s objective of increasing training berths for seafarers and strengthening the country’s maritime workforce capability. The program will support participants across deck, engineering, electro-technical, and integrated rating pathways. All sea service will be aligned with Australian Maritime Safety Authority certification requirements and international standards. “Access to sea time remains one of the most significant barriers for aspiring seafarers. This program allows us to work closely with vessel operators and industry partners to create training opportunities that support certification and long-term careers at sea,” said Samuel Coote, Siera Marine Management managing director. This directly reflects the MSTI program’s objective of increasing berth access so more Australian trainees and cadets can complete the sea time needed for certification. Bojan Lepic Bojan is an English language professor turned journalist with years of experience covering the energy industry with a focus on the oil, gas, and LNG industries as well as reporting on the rise of the energy transition. Previously, he had written for Navingo media group titles including Offshore Energy Today and LNG World News. Before joining Splash, Bojan worked as an editor for Rigzone online magazine. Read Next June 24, 2026 Wallenius Wilhelmsen adds $420m to car shipping contract June 24, 2026 IMO and Oman orchestrate phased reopening of Hormuz June 24, 2026 It’s time to put the S back into ESG June 23, 2026 Hormuz hotline opens between US and Iran June 23, 2026 New ICS chair Denholm inherits an industry on edge Back to top button