An increasing number of young women have achieved success in the maritime industry thanks to the educational support they received while completing their schooling at Simon’s Town School’s Lawhill Maritime Centre. Lawhill graduates Blondie Jobela, Kelly Klaasen, Nomkhitha Mbele and Nicole Gouvias are four of many young women who, upon graduating from Lawhill, have achieved success in the industry, both at sea and ashore. For example, Kelly Klaasen and Nicole Gouvias are making Lawhill history: Klaasen could become Lawhill’s first female chief engineer and Gouvias, the school’s first female shipmaster. Blondie Jobela, currently serving as a third engineer with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, has also inspired her two younger brothers – who both attended Lawhill – to follow in her footsteps by embarking on a career at sea. Mbekeli is a navigating cadet with Unicorn and Thando is studying marine engineering. Nomkhitha Mbele joined SMIT Amandla Marine in December 2007 as a trainee operations coordinator. Eighteen months after joining the company, she was promoted to contracts manager and in June 2013, to her current role as commercial manager where she is responsible for the commercial management of vessels contracted by SMIT Amandla, as well as management of third party clients.
