Navigating New Horizons: Tagai Students Build Bright Futures on the Water
Across the Torres Strait, a new generation of mariners is taking shape. Young learners from Tagai State College are steadily working toward their Certificate II in Maritime Operations (Coxswain Grade 1 Near Coastal) under the MAR20324 qualification, combining classroom learning with vital hands-on experience aboard dedicated training vessels. Together, they are building the skills, confidence, and knowledge needed to guide their communities into a stronger maritime future.
Learning on the Water — Where It Matters Most
While books, charts, and classroom lessons lay the foundation, real seamanship is learned where it has always been — out on the water. The use of dedicated training vessels is central to the program’s success, giving students the chance to put theory into practice in the same marine environments they will one day work in.
From the helm, students learn how to handle vessels safely, plan and navigate voyages, read the weather, and communicate effectively at sea. They practice emergency responses, safety drills, and teamwork in real conditions — experiences that simply can’t be replicated in a classroom. Each hour spent on board builds their competence, confidence, and readiness for real-world maritime operations.
Building First Nations Maritime Leaders
This training is more than just education — it’s a pathway to leadership. By learning on dedicated vessels within their own waters, these students are developing not just technical skills, but also a deep understanding of the sea country they’ve grown up around. They’re connecting cultural knowledge with professional practice, preparing to become the next generation of First Nations vessel masters — leaders who know these waters intimately and can operate safely, confidently, and independently.
The program also instils teamwork, responsibility, and decision-making under pressure — essential skills for future captains, skippers, and maritime professionals. It’s about growing leaders who can guide vessels, crews, and communities alike.
Creating Local Capacity and Opportunity
For the Torres Strait, having locally operated training vessels is more than just convenient — it’s transformative. It means young people can train close to home, gain required sea time, and complete their qualifications without leaving their communities. It builds local capacity, reduces reliance on outside operators, and ensures that vital marine roles — from transport and fishing to research, tourism, and emergency response — are filled by people who understand and care deeply for the region.
Graduates of the Certificate II in Maritime Operations will have the skills and experience needed to work in a range of maritime sectors, supporting local industries, improving transport and connectivity, and strengthening community resilience on the water.
A Shared Journey Toward the Future
As these students near the completion of their training, pride runs deep — not just among the learners themselves, but across families, trainers, and the broader Torres Strait community. Their achievements reflect hard work, perseverance, and the enduring connection between people, culture, and sea.
This is more than a qualification. It’s a shared investment in our future — a future where young people lead from the helm, where knowledge is passed down and strengthened, and where the waters that have always sustained our communities continue to do so under the guidance of skilled, local hands.
With their training vessels as their classrooms and the sea as their teacher, the next generation of coxswains is ready to take the helm — steering not just vessels, but the future of the Torres Strait itself.