As the person in charge of a large ship carrying valuable cargo including hundreds of passengers, it’s vital to remain focused and on course.

The synergy between Spirit of Tasmania Captain Mark Davis and a group of Year 10 students from Mount Alexander College was obvious, with teenagers about to enter unchartered waters with their study and lives in general.

“If you focus too narrowly too early, it will cut off a lot of options,” Davis warned.

“I actually had a really hard time with math and English when I was in school. But a lot can change, and now I love reading. And though some of the stuff I have to do is very complicated and some of it, once you learn about it, is actually very simple.”

The class was invited onto the ship as part of a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Group Excursion, offering the opportunity to talk with and seek advice from Spirit of Tasmania employees working in the areas of technology and engineering.

For three hours the students had access to the Captain, Chief Engineer, and Commercial Manager to learn about the varying career opportunities that have a strong basis in STEM subjects.

“Even if you're not sure what you're going to do, if you can do the STEM subjects it opens up a lot of doors,” Chief Engineer Jeremy Westcombe said.

While in the control room, the students marvelled at the thousands of blinking buttons and switches that control everything on board.

“And to get a job as an engineer you’ll need to work hard and studying those STEM subjects will really help,” Westcombe added.

Besides career-focused questions, there was a never-ending supply of questions about every detail of the ship and the people that work on it. How much does it cost to clean the ship? How old is it? Is it hard sleeping in the middle of the day?

Spirit’s Commercial Manager, Miranda Foster, with some food for thought to round out the enlightening day.

“The captain, the engineers, and commercial sides all work together,” she said.

“Every bit is needed, without one, our company wouldn’t exist. Every skill and interest is important in having a well-rounded team and successful business.”

As the students disembarked, one commented, ‘It would be pretty cool to work on a big ship like that’.

His fellow classmates nodded in agreement, all hoping the day’s learnings would ensure some smooth sailing ahead.