Take Zolisa for example. With roots in a local township, his Maritime Economics course at Lawhill gained him an internship in a large ships’ agency office in Cape Town. He showed his mettle to the extent that, after six months, his one-year contract as an intern was replaced with permanent employment, and, shortly thereafter, with well-deserved promotion.

After her three years at Lawhill Maritime Centre, Blondie – a nickname – moved into marine engineering and has subsequently been promoted to third engineer in a really large cruise ship, a wonderful achievement for this amazing young lady from the rural village of Tsomo in the Eastern Cape. She is due to complete her exams for Chief Engineer by the end of 2017.

When Tyrone, a navigating officer on a bulk carrier, was on bridge-watch aboard his ship as she approached New Orleans, he called up another ship from the same company on the radio. Responding was Paulette, his equivalent officer on the other ship. Each quickly realised that they had been classmates and fellow boarders at Lawhill Maritime Centre four years earlier! And they met again, via ships’ radios off the US Gulf coast!

Marine Crew Services has employed graduates of the Centre in shore-based position.  Mandla Makha, who matriculated from Simon’s Town School in 2012 is currently employed at Marine Crew Services South Africa in the role of Crewing Officer.

In 2016 Lawhill celebrated its 21st birthday with extensions to the building – generously funded by a grant from the TK Foundation. This boosted the number of boarding places to 66 learners, and, as of 2017, Lawhill’s Nautical Science course has included a specialised component in electronic navigation systems (ECDIS software kindly donated by Captain Kieron Cox).

Lawhill also hopes to introduce a new subject Marine Sciences, a combination of marine biology and oceanography that will combine extremely well with Lawhill’s existing subject package. And another exceptional offering to learners is sail training in Lawhill’s own yacht, recently donated to the Centre by international maritime mentoring organisation, Marine Inspirations.

As Lawhill receives no direct government funding, the success of the Lawhill operation at Simon’s Town School can be attributed to the mutually-beneficial partnership with the private sector, particularly the shipping industry, as well as the hard work, dedication and commitment of its students and staff.

Marine Crew Services awards bursaries to Simon’s Town School/Lawhill Maritime Centre students for tertiary studies at Cape Peninsula University of Technology. In addition, the company supports the current students by providing work shadow opportunities over the June holidays.  Two Lawhill students were also invited in August to visit to the Greatship Manisha vessel while in the Cape Town harbour.

More about the Lawhill programme on www.lawhill.org and Facebook and Twitter (@lawhillmaritime)