With a major cold front bringing hail through Perth, Lesley (COO, Austral) and Ash (HR Officer, Austral) headed up to sunny Darwin to join the Northern Territory Seafood Council’s stall at Industry Skills Advisory Council NT (ISACNT) Vocational Education and Training Careers Expo.
Austral’s Northern Finfish division calls Darwin home. With a total of 5 trap fishing vessels operating in the Timor Reef Fishery, our team are kept busy managing the rotating roster of vessels coming and going. The Academy team were tasked with the challenge of encouraging young local students into a career with Austral commencing in the Northern Finfish.
The 2-day event encouraged hundreds of local school students from Years 9 to 12, teachers, and parents/ carers to explore the many career pathways, industries and training opportunities that exist.
Brought together by the Northern Territory Seafood Council, Austral Fisheries, Paspaley Pearls and Tarooma Mackerel fishers represented the Northern Territory’s Seafood Industry. This allowed for students to get a taste of the varied opportunities in Darwin’s seafood industry.
Many students were clearly keen fishers who had never considered the possibility of turning their hobby into a career. “It was exciting to see the lightbulb moment students had when they discovered they could get paid to go fishing,” said Ash.
“The beauty of starting your career with Austral is that there are 2 different fisheries to experience the varied fishing operations of under the guidance of our experienced Skippers and Operations teams. There is a wealth of knowledge to absorb from these individuals that would give young people the best head start to their career at sea. Once students have got their head around our domestic fisheries, we can look at how they can move into our Southern Ocean team,” said Ash.
“We extend our gratitude to the NT Seafood Council and ISACNT for their invaluable support in making the school Expo a success. It was two full days where we shared our inspiring fisherman’s story with Years 9,10,11 & 12. This year’s event was particularly special as we witnessed an increase in the number of girls who expressed their curiosity and enthusiasm. Together, we hope to bring the incredible world and opportunities of fishing, to schools,” said Lesley.
The team also managed a quick stop into Austral’s Darwin offices and the “Duckpond” to watch the successful unload of trawler turned trap fishing vessel, FV Comac Enterprise, with a new Skipper onboard.
The Austral Academy seeks to educate young people about the endless careers and unique experiences a career at sea commercial fishing can bring. To find out how you could Adventure with Austral, get in touch today and check out our Careers Hub for more information.