NSCC Nautical Institute

Picture this: a state-of-the-art technical school located on the picturesque coast of Cape Breton Island – the perfect place to train for a career in the marine industry. Students from all over the world come to Nova Scotia's Nautical Institute to learn exciting new skills and get the chance to develop these skills with a unique hands-on approach to learning.

"We've had people from Ghana, The Netherlands, Jamaica and all across Canada," says Captain Joe Murphy, chair of the Nautical Institute. And it's not hard to see why.

The Nautical Institute is part of the Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) Strait Area Campus in Port Hawkesbury. One of only five schools of its kind in Canada, it trains anywhere between 1,500 to 1,700 students a year. The Institute offers courses for students interested in all aspects of the marine industry, from Watchkeeping Mates, Engineer Officers and Deck Officers to management and shore-based operations. "We do it all, from when people start going to sea, right up to master mariners," says Murphy. They also offer safety training and professional upgrading for those already working in the field.

"People need to know it's a technical college, it's hands on," explains Murphy. "We can get you where you want to go, whether you want to be an Engineer Officer or a Navigation Officer. We can fast track you to that."

But Murphy is quick to add that it’s not just the innovative approach to learning that makes the school unique. He says the Nautical Institute's faculty and surrounding community provide exceptional support to students who study here. "We're big enough to give people what they need and small enough so they still feel at home," he says. Students at the Nautical Institute are offered both a wealth of expertise and a welcoming community, not to mention access to cutting-edge technology and an interactive learning experience.

"It's a large tank, 70 feet long and 60 feet wide, and it produces around five-foot waves," Murphy says. He's describing the Nautical Institute’s wave simulator, just one example of the kind of innovative technology incorporated into the curriculum here. The wave simulator gives students the chance to practice survival techniques in the water - a vital skill for those preparing for a job at sea.

Murphy says the students find the hands-on approach at the Institute engaging and exciting. "It's very visceral. You're exhausted at the end of the day and it’s been great," notes Murphy.

The wave tank isn't the only simulator at the Nautical Institute. They also have a bridge simulator, a firefighting field, a global communications and dynamic positioning simulator and a helicopter evacuation trainer. "When a helicopter crashes, it can capsize. So the student goes into our simulator, the helicopter immerses in water and rotates, that way the student learns how to get out," Murphy says.

"Students get to see the immediate necessity. It's not the geometry of chart work - this is very real. You can see hazards and you can learn how to protect yourself."

It is this kind of cutting-edge technology and hands-on learning that draws students from far and away to this school in Nova Scotia. The Institute is also undergoing a million-dollar upgrade to their propulsion plant simulator; where students will get the chance to manage the propulsion system for a ship.

This type of engaging curriculum at the NSCC’s Nautical Institute isn’t the only thing bringing students to Port Hawkesbury. Murphy says students who come to Cape Breton to study also get to enjoy a great lifestyle, the icing on the cake for those coming to the Island. "It's a good healthy place to live and the economy is buoyant here," he says.

And when it comes time for life after school, opportunities abound for students in the marine industry. "Our grads are snapped up. Once you get your feet under you, you can choose which job you want," Murphy says of the choices available for graduates of the Nautical Institute once they've finished their training. He’s quick to add that the jobs are lucrative and working on a ship has its perks, including travel and the chance to advance in your career. "A lot of people who started as deck hands are now Masters,” he says.

Murphy says it's easy to balance work and life while living in Nova Scotia and the Nautical Institute embodies this essential balance. "The school combines work and pleasure," he says. "We combine a recreational dimension with learning and that's what appeals to people.” For many people, the added bonus is that studying here means you get to be on the water - your classroom is the sea.

It's no surprise that innovative training and cutting-edge technology draw so many students every year to the NSCC's Nautical Institute and to the welcoming and bustling community of Port Hawkesbury. Those who come to learn and live here see a wealth of choice and opportunity once they’re finished studying. As for the lifestyle, Murphy sums it up like with a laugh. "It's high energy here, but low stress," he says. What more could you ask for.