All maritime engineering graduates of the Australian Maritime College have had their path to chartered status smoothed by a new agreement with the Royal Institution of Naval Architects Australian Division.

AMC Principal Michael van Balen AO and RINA’s President Martin Renilson signed the agreement at the Newnham campus on Monday.

“This sets our students off on the start of their career for certification as maritime engineers,” Mr van Balen said.

Dr Renilson said RINA was the international learned society for maritime engineers.

“This arrangement with AMC, which is the primary principal place for teaching maritime engineering in Australia, is a good move forward,” he said.

“It makes it easier for AMC Maritime Engineering students to join RINA as student members and thus makes their path to Corporate Member and subsequent chartered status a lot easier.

The agreement comes at a time of growing demand for naval architecture and maritime engineering graduates thanks to the $90 billion National Naval Shipbuilding Enterprise.

Under the agreement all AMC Bachelor of Engineering students can become student members of RINA free of charge.

“Graduation from AMC as a Bachelor of Engineering in any of the three specialties has been accepted as meeting the educational requirements for Corporate Membership of RINA,” Dr Renilson said.

However, to achieve full member grade a graduate must demonstrate professional competence through training and experience.

Dr Renilson said it may take up to five years of experience to achieve Member grade and be eligible to be a Chartered Engineer.

“A person only becomes a fully fledged maritime engineer when they achieve MRINA CEng or the equivalent EA membership grade,” Mr Renilson said.

“It is only when a person is at chartered status that they can truly work independently and call themselves an engineer.”     

He said that the requirement for a person to have chartered engineer status was increasing generally and especially with large companies.

Membership of RINA also provides members with up to day technical information and general news related to the maritime engineering industry.

“It also monitors continued professional development which is a requirement to maintain chartered status,” he said.

Published on: 03 Dec 2019