This October, PONANT EXPLORATIONS’ and the Australian Maritime College (AMC) will mark the first anniversary of their partnership, celebrating a year of hands-on training, mentorship and career-defining experience for the next generation of Australian seafarers.
Since launching in October 2025, the program has given 29 navigation and engineer cadets – the opportunity to gain real, hands-on experience at sea aboard the PONANT Explorations fleet, together clocking up 7.1 years of combined sea time across nine vessels, sailing around the globe from the tropical islands of the Indian Ocean to the geographic North Pole.
Every cadet who took part in the program this year has reported a positive and motivating experience. Feedback gathered from this year’s cohort points to a consistent set of highlights: a strong crew culture and camaraderie with the onboard team, mentorship from officers who tailor development to each cadet’s individual growth and a level of genuine responsibility that grew in step with their skills. Cadets also cited the high operational tempo and frequency of port calls, as well as the opportunity to interact with guests and travel to unique destinations, as valuable parts of their training beyond the technical curriculum.
Skills gained by cadets this year extended well beyond core navigation and engineering, including hands-on training on onboard equipment that builds real troubleshooting ability rather than simple operation and opportunities to build confidence through public speaking and technical presentations. Cadets also picked up a broader range of practical skills over the course of the year, from safety drill coordination and vessel maintenance regulatory and compliance reporting, celestial navigation and even conversational French.
Safety culture was rated strongly and consistently across all responses gathered this year, with cadets noting that safety was treated as the clear priority across every department on board. Cadets also reflected on the importance of interpersonal skills at sea, learning to work constructively around personality differences without it affecting the job, a lesson as valuable as any technical skill gained during their placement.
Among this year’s cadets was Finn Arnold, who helped design and run a new fire-drill scenario aboard Le Bellot before leading the debrief, one of the highlights of his time onboard and one example of the growing responsibility cadets are entrusted with as their skills develop. “I gained confidence whilst running the scenario and knowing what should happen at each stage; I enjoyed leading the debrief afterward presenting to the team what had gone well and what we could improve on,” said Arnold. Arnold logged 4.5 months of sea time earlier this year, sailing from the Seychelles to Iceland and will return onboard in late November for a further 4.5 months, sailing from Darwin to the Ross Sea in Antarctica, Micronesia and Japan, continuing to add to this required 18 months of time at sea that will allow him to graduate as an officer.
“Beyond delivering the technical skills our students need, the PONANT Explorations program gives them confidence in their future at sea,”comments Mal Wise AM, Principal of the Australian Maritime College. “It shows them that opportunities are real, their work matters, and their profession is respected and valued.”
Launched in October 2025, the partnership with the Australian Maritime College (AMC) represents a strong, long-term commitment made by the company to invest in Australia’s future maritime capabilities, one of the largest single companies’ commitments to sea time placements in decades. Recruitment for the next summer’s intake of cadets is now underway, with applications open to students at the Australian Maritime College.
“I am so proud of what the cadets have achieved in this first year of our partnership,” concludes Deb Corbett, CEO of PONANT EXPLORATIONS Asia Pacific. “We look forward to continuing to support the next generation of Australian seafarers.”
