Able Seaman Steph Cokanauto, 22, said she was at sea more than half the year and loved the travel involved. “I like being at sea, exploring the world,” she said. “I didn’t know what to expect, with 25 girls in a crew of 150. I thought it could be a bit hard, but it really isn’t. It is like living at home with a lot of annoying brothers; we live together and it is really good. They are like a big family, we experience everything together, the happy times, the sad times.”

“The navy offers more than just great training and jobs; it offers a lifestyle,” Mr [Warren Snowdon] said. “In the current environment a lot of people are looking for a job, we hope these ads will engage them to see the navy is where they should be.”

THE navy is taking advantage of a sudden pool of potential recruits created by staff layoffs at mines in Western Australia, with advertisements for technicians and general staff being posted in some affected areas.

A Defence Force spokeswoman said the recruitment drive was aimed at encouraging people who had lost their jobs or who were worried about insecurity in themining industry to look at a more secure career.

The targeted areas include Kalgoorlie, the Pilbara and Karratha, with naval recruitment officers planning to visit the areas in coming weeks.

“This is a considered response given the current economic climate and our priorities for technically proficient applicants,” head of defence recruiting Commodore Tim Barrett said. “We want the navy to become the employer of first choice, rather than last resort.”

A Defence spokeswoman said that while in the past the navy had difficulty competing with the high wages offered in the mining industry, the situation was changing. She said there were young technicians now earning more than $100,000.

When the benefits of a defence career, including subsidised housing and free medical and dental care, were taken into account, the navy became a better career choice, she said.

The West Australian advertisements emphasise the excitement of a maritime career and the way ship crews bond as families. The television ads spruik a “new generation” navy that is ethnically diverse and supportive of women.

The Minister for Defence Science and Personnel, Warren Snowdon, yesterday launched the series of new television advertisements aboard HMAS Ballarat, which is docked at Garden Island in Sydney. He said there had been a 20 per cent jump in expressions of interest in a navy career since last year, coinciding with the economic downturn.

The advertisements, which compress a week in the navy into 30 seconds, stemmed from research showing most prospective recruits did not know what was involved in working for the navy.

“The navy offers more than just great training and jobs; it offers a lifestyle,” Mr Snowdon said. “In the current environment a lot of people are looking for a job, we hope these ads will engage them to see the navy is where they should be.”

Able Seaman Steph Cokanauto, 22, said she was at sea more than half the year and loved the travel involved. “I like being at sea, exploring the world,” she said. “I didn’t know what to expect, with 25 girls in a crew of 150. I thought it could be a bit hard, but it really isn’t. It is like living at home with a lot of annoying brothers; we live together and it is really good. They are like a big family, we experience everything together, the happy times, the sad times.”

Credit: John Stapleton