Becoming an expert

Recruit training gives our people the basic skills, knowledge and culture of being in the military. But when deployed as a sailor our people have will have a specific role to fill. They are going to be part of an organisation that requires an enormous variety of specialists to function. The days of unskilled labour and limited skillsets are long gone. When our people are upskilled within their trade, they are provided with high quality training and education.

New members of our Navy choose a particular trade prior to starting their career, and that trade will require professional development. Trade training is predominantly done within our Navy, but it may also involve study outside of the military. Navy trades and careers utilise a wide variety of tertiary education paths spanning across university, technology institutions and trade training.

Today, much of the trade training in the military has achieved parity with civilian qualifications, meaning that the training our people complete will earn them the equivalent qualification for civilian life. In some instances, such as the chef and building trades, the qualification undertaken as part of trade training is the civilian industry qualification.

All full time personnel can further upskill using the Voluntary Education Study Assistance programme, which provides financial assistance to undertake part-time study towards a Level 4 or higher qualification on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework.