To help address Australia’s shortage of skilled maritime workers and limited places for on-the-job training, Industry Skills Australia (ISA), a Jobs and Skills Council for transport and logistics, identified two preferred sea time models in the 2025 Coordination of Sea Time Final Report. The models are designed to support Australian trainee seafarers in completing their mandatory sea time requirements.

The report highlights that the Australia’s current model for coordinating sea time puts the responsibility of navigating training and employment pathways onto the trainee seafarer.

Access to training berths has been identified as a barrier for trainee seafarers in completing their sea time. Additionally, lack of coordination around utilisation of available training berths on board vessels has resulted in the training berths not being used effectively, advised the 2026 Maritime Workforce Planning Update.

The Australian Government commissioned the Strategic Fleet Taskforce Final Report which called on ISA to:

Consider how to better coordinate placement of cadets and trainees on vessels across the Australian and international shipping industry to complete mandatory sea time requirements to obtain STCW (international) qualifications.

ISA consulted with a wide range of maritime stakeholders from industry, unions and training providers for the Coordination of Sea Time project and found:

The status quo is not a viable option, as the current model has contributed to the decline of seafarers.

ISA examined international training models to find out what is working well in major seafaring nations, including Denmark, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, and the models are being explored in-depth in the current ISA project Coordination of Sea Time Feasibility Business Case and Pilot Implementation Plan.

Trainee seafarers face unique challenges to complete on-the-job training, highlighted in the Strategic Fleet Taskforce Final Report, which highlighted it is:

Administratively, financially and logistically difficult for trainee seafarers to coordinate and access their own training berths, as they will often be required to move between different ship operators and owners to access the full sea time requirement for their qualifications.

Trainee seafarers are required to complete sea time to be allowed to work. According to ISA’s 2026 Maritime Workforce Planning Update:

Seafarers must complete a specified amount of qualifying sea service, or ‘sea time’, on a vessel to be eligible for AMSA (Australian Maritime Skills Authority) certification. There are sea time requirements for STCW (Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping) and Near Coastal seafarers. These are aligned to national standards for Near Coastal and to international requirements for STCW

ISA continues to investigate the practicality of potential models for Australia in collaboration with maritime stakeholders which will inform the Sea Time Feasibility Business Case and Pilot Implementation Plan.

For updates on these projects, please visit: Maritime - Industry Skills Australia