Port of Newcastle has joined forces with industry partners to bring to life a student initiative to help increase female participation in the maritime workforce.
Port of Newcastle has joined forces with Svitzer, Port Authority of NSW, and Keolis Downer to make a St Pius X student initiative aimed at attracting more women to the maritime workforce a reality.
The Women on Water (WoW) program is the winning project of St Pius X year 10 students – part of the Sustainnovation Challenge, which was centred on the transformation of the Port of Newcastle's role in Australia's maritime trade and emerging renewable energy sectors. Nineteen students from four schools across the Hunter Region have toured the port, participated in hands-on experiences, and heard from women in Newcastle's maritime industry who shared their decades of experiences across various roles.
Chief People and Information Officer, Marie Omark, said Port of Newcastle was keen to bring the program to life after students first presented it to the organisation and broader industry in August.
"Raising awareness and interest among young women in our industry is critical to developing the maritime workforce required to keep up with the growing economy and the port's diversified future."
Marie Omark
Port of Newcastle Chief People & Information Officer
"We are proud to be an employer of choice for all women by Work 180, which ranks us in the top 101 Employers for Women in Australia, but there's more work to do. Port of Newcastle has a target in place to reach 40% women in the workforce by 2031, and the WoW program is a wonderful initiative to proactively work towards these targets and raise awareness of career opportunities with emerging talent," she said.
Students from St Pius X, Saint Francis Xavier, Catherine McAuley College, and Callaghan College attended Port of Newcastle headquarters where they heard from PON CEO, Craig Carmody, female dredge engineers and crew, wharf officers, followed by a Q&A with Svitzer's Lauren Munro, Port Authority's Cat Young, and Keolis Downer's Jess Plumsted. Keolis Downer then transported students to a tour of PON's West Basin and dredge vessel, Svitzer's tugs and simulator, and Port Authority's Vessel Traffic Control centre.
"I'm proud of our team for making this happen so quickly, and I thank all the schools involved, and Svitzer, Port Authority, and Keolis Downer for their partnership in bringing the St Pius X students' vision to life," Ms Omark said.
According to the INPEX Maritime Workforce Position Paper, the maritime industry has grown strongly over the last two decades. In 2020-21, the industry's contribution to GDP was $105.3 billion in value added and it supported 462,000 full time jobs.
Representing Svitzer, Lauren Munro, Newcastle Port Manager, was one of the event's speakers, and said workforce diversity was key for the maritime industry.
"Attracting new and different people to the port and maritime sector is critical to the future sustainability of our industry. Today's young people are so impressive, and they are coming up with great ideas to help build interest in our industry and attract the next generation of seafarer and port worker.
"It's awesome seeing that talent on display, and we are happy we can play a small part in supporting the Women on Water initiative along with the Port of Newcastle, Port Authority and other port and industry stakeholders," Ms Munro said.
Port Authority of NSW Harbour Master Newcastle, Vikas Bangia, said, "At Port Authority we move over 2,200 trade vessels each year – which makes it one of the busiest ports in the country. The great news is that as the port continues to grow, so do the opportunities to find a rewarding profession working on the water.
"Port professions are much more varied than people realise – from marine pilots to surveyors, cutter masters to port officers and everything in between. The Women on Water event is a terrific way to show local students the possibilities of a maritime career and a pathway to become part of the Port Authority team."