OPEN FOR BUSINESS: CAPT Peter Laver welcomes the first two customers, LSMTE Jessica Pethick and ABSN Rowe to the sailors’ career management centre at Fleet Base West.

The first waterfront sailors’ career management centre opened for business on May 24 on budget and ahead of schedule.

The centre, known as Directorate of Sailors’ Career Management – Fleet Base West (DSCM-FBW), is the first of a series intended to put advice on careers where it’s particularly needed – with the operators.

The establishment of career management centres at major bases is a key plank of the raft of Sea Change initiatives announced by the Chief of Navy, VADM Chris Ritchie, at the Naval Symposium last October.

“Local career management centres are intended to improve access for sailors to career managers,” said the Director of Sailors’ Career Management, CAPT Peter Laver.

“DSCM-FBW will provide career counselling for WA-based sailors and local area posting management for sailors of PO rank and below.”

CAPT Laver welcomed the first two customers to the centre – LSMTE Jessica Pethick and ABSN Rowe – as they arrived for their career management appointments and wished them well with their careers.

He said divisional staff participation was an important part of career planning and the staff of the new centre would ensure divisional staff were involved in career planning and negotiation of postings.

The Officer-in-Charge of DSCMFBW, WOMTSM Steve Boyd, said the centre had opened ahead of the schedule directed by the Chief of Navy last year, on budget and with a complement of senior and junior sailors committed to the career management of the 2000 sailors either homeported or based in WA.

‘Local career management centres are intended to improve access for sailors to career managers’ — CAPT Peter Laver

“An appointment for a career management interview is now only a phone call away,” he said.

“But sailors should make appointments through their divisional staff and fill out a posting preference form in consultation with them before they come to see us.

“The appointment schedule is already quite full but appointments are available – through divisional staff – by contacting our office on (08) 9553 5680 or (08) 9553 5621.”

VADM Ritchie visited the new centre on May 25 and stressed the importance of career management staff in contributing to the professional satisfaction of sailors.

.