A record number of Technical Charge Qualification Common Course (TCQCC) students have graduated from the Technical Training Faculty at HMAS Cerberus, thanks to a newly revised course structure and delivery.
Eight marine technicians and five electronics technicians successfully passed their oral examination board (OEB), along with an additional four marine technicians and two electronics technicians from previous TCQCC's, all overseen by members of the fleet engineering community.
TCQCC course implementation officer, Warrant Officer Craig Daly, said the number was unprecedented.
"Never before in the Navy's modern era, have we successfully graduated 19 petty officers in one session of Engineering TCQ OEB's here at HMAS Cerberus," he said.
Warrant Officer Daly designed and implemented the recent course structure changes alongside TCQ instructors, Chief Petty Officer David Stow and Chief Petty Officer Jeffree Dillon.
Under the new remote delivery method, students complete three separate phases over a seven-month period, completing online assignments and sitting three mandatory training examination boards at the end of each phase.
When students receive the final board recommendation they spend a week conducting an engineering roadshow in Sydney and Canberra, followed by a period of board preparation before completing their OEB at Cerberus.
Since this change from the initial structure, where students had four months to complete online and face-to-face components before a six-month period to complete their OEB, there has been a significant increase in success rates.
Director Training Authority-Engineering Captain Thomas Doherty highlighted the immediate positive impact these technical qualifications will have on capability for all Navy platforms.
"The recent changes to the TCQCC will afford further posting opportunities as well as bolstering the promotion prospects for our senior technical ranks," Captain Doherty said.
"It will also ensure candidates are able to remain posted in their home locations while completing the majority of the course, affording a better work/study balance and further enabling technicians to achieve this technical career milestone."
Warrant Officer Daly said the developments were made possible thanks to the hard work of the Navy engineering community.
"The new course structure represents the culmination of 18 months of hard work from the instructors, with support from engineering community, in particular the fleet engineering command warrant officers, to ensure the revised structure is delivered in the best method possible," Warrant Officer Daly said.
"The last time HMAS Cerberus conducted this style of course was back in the early 1990s under the old 'Phase Four Course."
The graduation was attended by Director Fleet Engineering Captain Ben Hurst and Deputy Director Training Authority Engineering Commander Stefanie Curic.
