Serco bolsters bridge warfare training capability

Image courtesy Serco

Mr Latus (above) is recognised as a world-class specialist navigator and through the Global Talent - Employer Sponsored programme (GTES), Serco has been able to bring Simon’s unique skills to its Australian operations at HMAS Watson, supporting the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).

The Federal Government’s GTES program has allowed Serco streamlined access to highly specialised talent from around the world, helping to fill critical roles and deliver cutting-edge service.

Serco Defence Managing Director Clint Thomas said programmes like the GTES are important for building highly capable teams that deliver exceptional outcomes for the RAN.

“The nature of the training Serco delivers through our HMAS Watson contract requires very specialised individuals. Sometimes we can find our people close to home but other times we must look overseas,” Mr Thomas said.

Serco has delivered simulator-based maritime warfare training at HMAS Watson in Sydney since 2012. Through the 20-week Maritime Warfare Officer Course (MWOC), young Navy officers are trained in navigation, command, and control in a simulated war fighting environment.

As the first candidate to cross the oceans under the GTES program, Mr Latus said he was seeking broader horizons and had a keen interest in the RAN Bridge Simulator training programme delivered by Serco.

“Originally from Hull, Yorkshire, in north-east England, I joined the Royal Navy in 2000 and became a Specialist Navigator and Principal Warfare Officer. I also Commanded a Patrol Boat, and worked with the Royal Navy’s elite Flag Officer Sea Training Group (FOST),” Mr Latus said.

“In between these roles, I held an exchange posting with the RAN, where I worked as the Officer In Charge of the Navigation Faculty at HMAS Watson in Sydney. My family and I loved our time down under and we vowed to return.”

Following discharge from the Royal Navy in 2017, Simon expressed interest in working as a Senior Instructor in the HMAS Watson Bridge Simulator for Serco Defence.

“Over a period of just six months, I had passed through the various stages of the recruitment process, obtained visas for my family and I, and successfully relocated to Sydney in January 2020.”

Mr Thomas said Simon had already become a valuable member of the team and is helping to effectively prepare young RAN Warfare Officers for the most demanding senarios they will face throughout their careers.

“Recruiting an international candidate of Simon’s calibre in such a short amount of time demonstates the outstanding success of the GTES programme, and we’re proud to have Simon on the team.”