Coastguard Boating Education’s new general manager, Mike Brown, wants to target groups that don’t usually sit CBE courses and who are often over-represented in boating statistics.
“We know that Maori, Pasifika and new arrivals traditionally have a very low uptake of courses such as Day Skipper or Boatmaster,” he says. “We have to change that if we want to reduce the number of people getting into trouble on our waters.”
Mike Brown, who has an extensive background in both outdoor activities and education, is also determined to accelerate CBE’s move into offering courses on line.
“Education is changing rapidly and it is great to see Coastguard Boating Education embracing new ways of delivering courses,” he says. “People learn in a variety of different ways and it is important that we offer learning methods that are both enjoyable and which cater to everyone.”
He says CBE’s new VHF Online radio operator’s course is a great example. Due for imminent release, it teaches the relevant rules and allows people to practise making a variety of calls including trip reports, MayDay and Pan Pan calls before they sit the test.
A published author with a PhD in Education Mike Brown’s varied career includes sail training for young people and stints as the operations manager at Yachting NZ, as an instructor and duty manager at Outward Bound, as a CBE examiner and working in tertiary education.
“I am passionate about education and the maritime environment — and about helping save lives at sea as the general manager of Coastguard Boating Education,” he says.
ends.
For more information contact:
Mike Brown
General Manager
Coastguard Boating Education
Phone: (09) 361-4708
Email: [email protected].
