MI students to be Marine Atlantics first paid cadets

A new partnership between the Marine Institute (MI) of Memorial University and Marine Atlantic will result in MI students serving as paid cadets on Marine Atlantic vessels

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Captain Adams, a graduate of the Marine Institute and the current Director of Fleet Operations with Marine Atlantic, made the announcement during a visit to the Marine Institute on March 29.

Along with Marine Atlantic Human Resources Manager Dan Tobin and Talent Management Officer Marisa MacDonald, Captain Adams revealed to MI students and instructors that Marine Atlantic will begin a paid cadet program for Nautical Science and Marine Engineering students from the Marine Institute this summer. This marks the first time Marine Atlantic has paid cadets and reflects strongly on the relationship that exists between the company and MI.

“Traditionally, it was difficult for us to provide officer cadet programs because a lot of these programs would have to take place in the summer, our peak period during which cabin space was at a premium. But now that we have larger vessels, we have more crew cabin space available, so there are opportunities to offer cadet programs year round,” said Captain Adams. “We want to attract high caliber students to come with Marine Atlantic. They will have the opportunity to receive high-level training, and we will have the opportunity to learn more about them and hopefully have a positive impact on their careers.”

Captain Adams said the cadets chosen to work with Marine Atlantic will gain valuable experience that will help them in their program and after graduation. “From my experience as a student at the Marine Institute, the at-sea portion of my program was extremely valuable. We see the cadet program as an opportunity for the students to come out, be relatively close to home and work on modern vessels with top of the line, state of the art equipment,” he said. “My experience at MI has played a role in wanting to remain affiliated with the Marine Institute and work cooperatively to try and produce the best students."

Captain Adams is an alumnus of the Marine Institute, having successfully completed the Nautical Science program in 2000. He admits it was gratifying to come back to MI and see some of the instructors who helped him to a solid start in what has been become a successful career. “I always enjoy coming back to the Marine Institute and I’ve managed to keep a close relationship with MI since my graduation,” said Captain Adams. “I am thrilled to be in a situation where I can come back and help enhance the program for some current MI students. This is a big moment for Marine Atlantic, and I’m happy we’re sharing it with the Marine Institute.”

During his visit to MI, Captain Adams addressed students from the Institute’s Nautical Science and Marine Engineering programs, giving them an outline of Marine Atlantic’s business operations and an overview of the company’s new vessels, the MV Blue Puttees and the MV Highlanders. Captain Adams also took time to outline employment opportunities with the company and urged the MI students to strongly consider Marine Atlantic as a future employer.

“We greatly appreciate the time Captain Adams took to address our Nautical Science and Marine Engineering students. Captain Adams is a Marine Institute success story, having worked his way up from student to Director of Fleet Operations in a short period of time,” said Glenn Blackwood, executive director, Marine Institute. “It is always beneficial to our students to hear from those already working in these industries. When the speaker is an Institute graduate and represents a respected company such as Marine Atlantic, our students receive a first-hand account of the opportunities awaiting them after graduation.”

The paid cadet program is being managed through Marine Atlantic’s Human Resources Department and cadets who have questions may contact Marisa MacDonald at mmacdonald@marine-atlantic.ca