Maritime centre expands curriculum

New facilities and an
expanded curriculum
have marked the 21st
anniversary of the Lawhill
Maritime Centre in
Simon’s Town.
“The building has been
extended to accommodate
66 learners thanks to
a grant from the TK
Foundation’s Youth
Development Fund,” said
head of Lawhill Debbie
Owen.
Changes to the
curriculum will see
Lawhill’s nautical science
course including a
specialised component
in electronic navigation
systems from next year.
“Lawhill will also
introduce a new subject,
marine sciences – a
combination of marine
biology and oceanography
– that will combine
extremely well with the
school’s existing subject
package,” she said.
Owen commented that
the NSC subjects offered
at the school, including
maritime economics,
helped equip young people
to move from school
directly into careers
within the maritime
industry ashore. “Others
have progressed – via the
Maritime Department
at the Cape Peninsula
University of Technology –
to sea-going careers.”
A maritime economics
course at Lawhill gained
one of the students – Zolisa
Kema – an internship in a
large ships’ agency office
in Cape Town. “He showed
his mettle to the extent
that after six months his
one-year contract as an
intern was replaced with
permanent employment,
and, shortly thereafter,
with well-deserved
promotion,” Owen said.
Furthermore, after her
three years at Lawhill
Maritime Centre, ‘Blondie’
Jobela moved into
marine engineering and
has subsequently been
promoted to third engineer
on a large cruise ship.
Owen said that as
Lawhill received no
direct government
funding, the success of
the operation at Simon’s
Town School could be
attributed to the mutually
beneficial partnership
with the private sector,
particularly the shipping
industry, “as well as the
hard work, dedication
and commitment of its
students and staff.”
CAPTION
'Blondie' Jobela, one of the Lawhill Maritime Centre
graduates, puts her qualifications to good use.