The Navy continually encourage you to progress your career and will review it with you regularly to ensure you're getting the most out of it. And once you've been trained in your chosen field the opportunities don't end there. We'll take you as far as you want to go in furthering your education and training and this can even include stints overseas.

Initial Officer Training

Initial Officer Training, or IOC, is what all officers who join the Navy undertake. It forms a part of the New Entry Officer Course, the Reserve Entry Officer Course, the Undergraduate Entry Officer course and the Australian Defence Force Academy. The training that you undertake depends on your method of entry. The IOC takes place at the Royal Australian Naval College in Jervis Bay, south of Sydney. Several training courses are run here which cover everything from boat work and small arms, to management and leadership skills.

A teamwork exercise during Initial Officer Training at the Royal Australian Naval College.

The New Entry Officer Course (NEOC) at Royal Australian Naval College

This is the most common avenue of entry; open to people who have passed Year 12 without degrees, people who have existing degrees, or graduates with a degree relevant to a Navy job. It runs for approximately six months and is broken up into two main sections. The first four weeks is the Initial Training Period where you learn the basics of naval life such as Navy ceremony, physical fitness, living with your new mates and how to wear your uniform correctly. You will begin to understand that your primary responsibility is the welfare of your sailors and what it means to uphold the Navy's core values of Honour, Honesty, Courage, Integrity and Loyalty. You will develop team leader and team member qualities and enjoy the mateship of your fellow Junior Officers.

The Reserve Entry Officer Course (REOC)

As most of these candidates are already qualified in their chosen field, this course focuses on the fundamental skills a naval officer needs to have. It's derived from the New Entry Officer Course so contains many of the same lessons and challenges. It consists of an initial two week residential component at RANC, followed by a series of residential and distance learning modules. Like the NEOC this course is a mixture of theory and practical. You will study subjects like Leadership, Divisional Systems and Equity & Diversity, but you will also take part in physical training and go out on a sea training deployment.