Brent Mansfield
Diploma of Technology (Nautical Science) student

Like most high school students, I really had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up. I had always had a connection to the ocean and growing up in a small fishing community, I was introduced to the sea at a very early age. I was also highly involved with sea cadets for six years, which introduced me to chart work and different sea phases.

My guidance councilor at the time recommended a career at the Marine Institute. After researching the opportunities, I soon realized that a career on the water was right for me. When I graduated, I decided to try out my sea legs and enrolled in the Nautical Science program at MI. I plan to work up through the ranks of a ships officer and eventually get my captain’s ticket.

When I graduate from the program, I will hold an Officer of the Watch Certificate. This means that I am qualified as navigating officer and have responsibility for the navigational watch of a ship.
Sound exciting? Well it is. And the best part is that I am guaranteed a job when I graduate.

The demand for Nautical Science graduates is going to increase dramatically over the next couple of years. By the year 2015, a shortage of 27,000 ships’ officers is predicted. So there is no better time to get enrolled in Nautical Science at the Marine Institute. What other job out there allows you to work anywhere in the world, live at home or anywhere else you choose, and have an excellent income?

And what better place to prepare for this career than at a world-renown oceans institute? The Marine Institute is a globally known institution and recognized worldwide.

The small class sizes allow for a personal relationship with the instructors. This allows each student to approach the instructor ‘one on one’ and get the academic help or advice they need.

Each instructor comes directly from the marine industry and they has the direct experience to teach us what we need to know to be fully prepared to go out in the industry, equipped with a confident attitude and the skills necessary to excel as leaders in our chosen field.

During my work placement, I was employed with Groupe Desgagnes and Canship Ugland. I have been at sea for a total of 12 months, but in that short time I have been to many parts of Newfoundland and Labrador, the United States, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, and the Arctic. The opportunities in the marine industry are endless and the future has never looked so bright.