Empowering Youth: Join the Whitianga Coastguard Cadetship and Learn Valuable Skills!

What the Cadetship offers

The all-expenses paid programme is designed to give young people the opportunity to learn about maritime safety, emergency response, and search and rescue operations. The cadets are also taught valuable life skills such as teamwork, communication, and leadership and awareness of Health & Safety obligations, which will be useful to them both in their personal and professional lives.

Cadets learn to build trust in a team environment and  to communicate with confidence while learning practical boat handling skills plus search and rescue techniques. Qualifications they gain by successfully completing the course units  include: 

• Marine VHF Radio
• Coastguard Day Skipper
• First Aid
• In Water Survival.

The Whitianga Coastguard Alan Jackson Memorial Cadetship has been running successfully since 2019, and it has provided young people with invaluable skills and experiences. The programme has been a great success and students completing the course gain skills for life with nationally recognised marine certificates and training. 

– Graeme Caddy, Whitianga Coastguard Operations Manager

How to apply

If you are aged between 15 -17 years and want to go from zero to hero in a fun-filled, supportive environment now is the time to apply for this year's course! Applications close at noon on Wednesday 10th May. You can find out more about the programme and how to apply by downloading the cadetship brochure attached to this article. 

Previous Graduates share their Cadetship experience

Five youth graduates who completed the programme have shared their experiences. These testimonials highlight the impact that the cadetship has had on their lives, and how it has helped them to develop valuable skills and experience.>

Josie Fairweather, a graduate of the Coastguard cadetship program in 2021, described her experience as full of fun, lessons, and opportunities to learn about safety on the water, leadership, and interpersonal skills. She shared an exciting story about their first-aid and in-water survival session, where her team performed the man-overboard procedure perfectly, earning compliments from their instructors. 

Jack Fiddler, another 2021 graduate, considered the cadetship a unique and incredible opportunity to gain confidence in marine practices and learn to control the Coastguard rescue boat while working with new people and expanding his horizons. 

Caitlin Klouwens, also from the same batch, appreciated how the course gave her qualifications and confidence to handle herself and others on the water. She fondly recalled the time when they answered a call for assistance, applying all the skills they had learned, working as a team, and gaining insight into the work of Coastguard volunteers.

Elise Reader shared her appreciation for the valuable boat handling skills she learned in the cadetship, such as navigating a Coastguard boat at night in stormy conditions, which she has applied to her own boats, making her feel more confident in her ability to be in charge and help others in danger on the water.

Lastly, Anaru Scobie, a cadetship graduate in 2022, recommended the course to anyone who wants to acquire life skills, such as managing a large, powerful boat and teamwork, and encouraged them to give their best, study hard for the VHF exam, and listen to the instructors.

Apply today!

If you're interested in joining this year's programme, don't miss out on this opportunity to learn about maritime safety, emergency response, and search and rescue operations, and to develop important life skills that will benefit you for years to come. Apply today!

Whitianga Volunteer Coastguard

Whitianga Coastguard is supported by dedicated volunteers in and around Whitianga who provide Search and Rescue services to save lives at sea and to promote water safety education and initiatives.

For more information about Whitianga Volunteer Coastguard click on the related link below.