I am a big fan of undertaking an apprenticeship and getting oneself a trade. I really support workplace based training and believe a four-year apprenticeship forms the foundation of a great career.

Not every job description is designated as a trade, yet options exist for workplace based training to gain a specific skill-set without undertaking a four-year trade, a traineeship is such an option. A traineeship is a one-year workplace based training program as opposed to the more arduous four-year apprenticeship training model. Not every person is motivated to attend university to gain a bachelor degree.

Furthermore, the high school system attempts to push everyone into a university education when their desire or grades do not warrant such a pathway. This is based on the incorrect assumption that everyone has to have a university degree because a teacher needs one. So many young people begin university undertaking a course they have no interest in, run up a large debt and drop out before they complete the course. The job market for university graduates isn’t brilliant with so many young people left disenchanted and financially stressed.

A traineeship is supplemented with academic learning, some learning is on-the-job, some learning outcomes may require off-the-job training and assessment may be a combination of on-the-job and off-the-job methodologies. A traineeship on the other hand  allows you to earn a full-time wage as you are undertaking training. For some traineeships, admittedly, you do earn a lower salary than a qualified person, but after you graduate you are on full pay.

You are not left with an outrageous debt and limited career options with no real work experience. A one year traineeship gains credits towards a trade, so an apprenticeship may be shortened with credits gained during the traineeship. What’s even better, with new university pathway options after a number of years in the workforce and a CV with actual workplace experience you are able apply to university financially secure and a work history.

Even better, with the study options available you don’t have to give up full-time work and study part-time just as you did during your traineeship. You can also gain some credits for a degree from a traineeship but by far the most important aspect is actual industry experience that the average school leaver does not possess. A traineeship is a great option, after 12 months of part time study and work, the graduate is not only job ready, they have genuine work experience added to their CV.

A traineeship is not a second-class qualification by any means, a graduate does not have to undertake further study to generate a solid income and strong employment history. A traineeship is a qualification in itself leading to great employment prospects. I always highlight further study options for motivated individuals who might not seek further options right now but in the future – who knows? From a traineeship you move to an apprenticeship and then progress to post-trade studies. 

The Waterloo Street markets in Singapore’s Bencoolan district is very interesting for me. It is busy without being over the top, there is plenty going on, yet still quaint enough for me to enjoy.

As I usually stay in Little India these days, it isn’t much of an ask to get to the markets. I tend to prefer the markets at night for some reason; yet, daytime is good too. I just like the Waterloo Street market vibe and the night seems to be seems to be more interesting for me. When I stay in Singapore I generally stay in Little India, so the Waterloo Street markets is just a short walk from my accommodation. I can head out in the evening for some pretty decent Chinese food or to look around the markets, will be glad when I can get back again.

Wolf warrior diplomacy, it’s bullshit. Let’s call it what it is, it is pure unadulterated trolling by the Chinese government on social media accounts by government officials under instruction from President Xi Jinping.

The term wolf warrior comes from the movie of the same name starring Jing Wu as Leng Feng. Released in 2015, the movie with an estimated budget of $12,000,000 returned slightly over $81,000,000 as worldwide receipts. Fair enough, the movie is considered to be a financial success. I have not seen this movie so I have to rely on published story lines. A Chinese special forces soldier is confronted by foreign mercenaries contracted by a drug lord to kill the star. There have been multitudes of patriotic American heroes from Rambo to Die Hard taking down the bad guys one at a time.

As a genre, it is not to my liking and I try not to watch these action movies so this isn’t an issue with me. So naturally, I would have no problems with Chinese movies stirring up patriotic pride. Where the problems arise from is government officials acting in an aggressive manner adapting these so called wolf warrior tactics.

Diplomacy shouldn’t take place on Twitter, to be fair, the Chinese could argue former President Donald Trump undertook Twitter diplomacy – not to a high standard either. The CCP is engaging in social media diplomacy by trolling accounts by not only state funded and brainless xiǎo fěnhóng but government officials – very poor.

In what could be the heavyweight battle of the chronographs, the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona v the Omega Speedmaster is an interesting comparison. Both are iconic chronographs from two of the best known Swiss watchmakers, they both have incredible pedigrees, they are sought after and both a premium product.

Without going too strongly into reference numbers, the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona reference number 116500LN and Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon reference number 311.92.44.51.01.003 was selected. Both are automatic movements, both are fitted with sapphire crystal and both the Daytona and Speedmaster are priced in the $15k region – an expensive purchase.

Starting with the Daytona, it is difficult now to believe the Daytona wasn’t held in the same high regard back in 1960s. Who would have guessed that distributors had a hard time moving this chronograph and the early chronographs, now known as the pre-Daytona from 1955 to 1961 were discontinued.

When Rolex became the official timekeeper of the Daytona International Speedway in 1962, the Cosmograph Reference 6239 was introduced and nicknamed the Daytona. The original racetrack run partially on the beach was now run solely on asphalt from 1959 and the Cosmograph was designed specifically for race timing.

These days, when you walk into a Rolex boutique outside of Hong Kong you have difficulty even getting to try one on. You can put your name on the waiting list and then spend a couple of years wondering when they will call you, a two year wait-list is common for anything less than a Datejust. Technical specifications for the Daytona include the 4130 in-house movement with 72 hours power supply. Up until 1988, the Valjoux Calibre 72 sourced hand-wound movement was fitted to the timepiece.

Rolex used Zenith’s El Primero movement, renamed the 4030 with some modifications including reducing frequency from 36,000 to 28,800 vph that increased the power reserve. The 4130 was introduced in 2000 and has 44 jewels, shock absorbers for the balance and column wheels in-house blue Parachrom hairspring. Due to lock-down and a lack of international travel, it has been some time since I have had a Daytona strapped to my wrist. The Daytona I selected for comparison on the Rolex page is oystersteel, that’s 903 stainless steel, the oysterlock clasp fitted to the three piece oyster bracelet.

The history of the Speedmaster is impressive, first manufactured as a racing timer, the Speedmaster was a surprise view on the wrist of moonwalking astronaut Ed White on Gemini IV along with James McDivitt who stayed inside the capsule. Whilst an unofficial timepiece of NASA astronauts during the Gemini project, the Speedmaster was the only watch to meet stringent NASA testing requirements for the Apollo program. Astronaut Wally Shirra purchased one from a Houston jeweller and wore during his Mercury mission on Sigma 7 on the 3rd of October 1962.

The Speedmaster I selected for comparison isn’t the legendary moonwatch, the Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon isn’t fitted with the 1863 hand wound movement or hesalite crystal. The moonwatch with the 1861 movement and hesalite crystal is almost identical to the NASA 321 movement versions but lacks that scratch resistance of the sapphire crystal. The 9300 co-axial movement fitted to the reference 311.92.44.51.01.003 with a 42.25 mm ceramic case is certainly solid. This automatic movement requires less maintenance thanks to George Daniels invention, the silicon hairspring is resistant to magnetic fields.

I really like the sapphire sandwich of the Speedmaster, the view of the 9300 movement through the caseback showcases the movement as the watchmaker intended. I am a big fan of the Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch, this is a classic 1950s design. However, looking at the Dark Side of the Moon, now I am not so sure, and I am leaning more towards the Daytona as my selection.

I find dusk my most favourite time to look over the river. We like to sit out the front on the veranda, we also set up the chairs under the tree in summer. The house is on the river so all I need to do is wander over the road to enjoy the river at dusk.

We are lucky, I was able to be born into a family where we have a property for holidays, even better, it is just 75 km from home. For some, this is just their normal daily commute from Mandurah to Perth, I just save it for weekends. I finish work on a Friday afternoon at 5pm and I can be at the house just before 6 pm, I am learning alternate paths to avoid traffic. In winter, I can be there walking through the door for the sunset. Summer is a different issue, 7:30 pm is sunset, so I have a whole hour and a half on a Friday night to get myself organised. I head down the shops and purchase my food for the weekend, I never bring with me and are all set up so returning home on Sunday afternoon is clean up and pack up – easy.

Leadership is so much more than an eagle gazing at snow capped mountains in the distance. Yet when I wander into the offices of our senior management and see these motivational posters I am disenchanted.

Leadership is a requirement cited in their job descriptions and this is how they address the leadership requirement. How about showing me something tangible and measurable? Leaders set a vision to inspire people, this is achieved by setting direction and mapping out a plan to engage the vision. You need to include the very people who are tasked with implementing the vision.

The leader coaches the assembled team to effectively achieve the vision and manages implementation and delivery of the vision. As such, management skills are required to effectively implement the vision using an array of tools. Management outcomes are measurable with strategic plan implementation, financial budgets, marketing outcomes, operations milestones, change management models and optimal staffing requirements.

The state government model where we never see the senior management is ludicrous. Get out of your office, limit these endless meetings that go nowhere and achieve nothing instead getting down to where the work is actually being done. Introduce yourself, shake hands with the team and let the team members know that you are working for them and doing everything you can to make them the most productive they can be.

This will be highly motivational; the staff will comprehend exactly what is required of them and they know they are being supported to achieve this goal. People take ownership of the vision if they feel they are making a difference, they are aware who the senior management is and the shared vision that management should be communicating to the team.

As a sailor, I use a race timer to organise the start, we have a digital version set on the bulkhead and I have a wrist mounted timer to set the five minute countdown. On a start line, the starting crew use a blank firing gun to signal the racers of race events aligned to a series of pennants on the start boat. Depending on fleet racing guidelines, we have a five minute gun with the class pennant raised as the gun sounds.

At four minutes, the gun sounds and a blue pennant is raised, this gives sailors the opportunity to synchronise timers to the gun. I personally count the time every fifteen seconds to the crew so we can position ourselves both in the fleet and on the line. As the one minute gun is sounded the blue pennant is lowered and we should be moving towards the line. My thought process is we should be locked into position at the 1:30 countdown to the start, we should not be messing around with any other maneuvers.

On some blue water races, a ten minute gun is sounded, on start lines going back longer than I would like to remember, we used to start on a ten minute cycle. While the older starts were 10 minutes, this is pretty obsolete now. The Heuer Skipper Reference 73464 Yacht chronograph is a decent race timer, this is a chronograph with a hand wound Valjoux 7734 movement. The 3 o’clock sub-dial is colour coded red, white and blue to accentuate the countdown timer, the 9 o’clock sub-dial is not important for race starts.

Whilst modern yacht racers use digital timers, the 1970s style of the mechanical chronograph is very interesting. I would have to assess whether I would want to wear such a classic timepiece out on the water now when the risk of losing or damaging it is high. Would I love to have a yacht timer? Absolutely, the answer is yes, would I wear it sailing, absolutely not – it is just not worth the risk.

You learn pretty quick, you don’t go online and say anything negative against the CCP, that is the Chinese Communist Party otherwise a plethora of abuse is headed your way – that much is for sure.

The xiǎo fěnhóng or little pink in English is the online army of CCP trolls who shout down anyone who dares say anything negative about China. The propaganda wing of the CCP is there to manipulate public opinion and are paid per comment. The 50 cent army known as the wǔmáo dǎng is allegedly paid fifty cents per comment, or should I say favourable comments. Some are reasonably argumentative coming up with original comments although they mostly don’t. They mostly cut and paste and what is well known, they have no internet etiquette, they just abuse people engaging in slander and abuse. What is clear is they are not free thinkers and forget about any critical thinking abilities – they are just mindless trolls.

Earlier in the day I dived off a banca, a local Filipino outrigger style boat atop of a wall starting at 40 metres viewing a couple of white tip sharks, a school of Tuna following the sharks and naturally the schools they are chasing.

As we were diving nitrox to extend our bottom times, we had plenty of time to enjoy the action on the wall before ascending to a shallower reef to extend our time. As we had ascended to the top of the reef to begin our decompression we saw a largish banded sea snake swimming down from the surface after taking a breath.

The sea snake was fossicking around in the coral before launching at a Moray eel landing a lethal bite on its back before quickly moving into position and grabbing the Moray by the head with what I guess was a further series of bites. As the sea snake wrestled with the Moray, it hyper extended its jaw attempting to swallow the eel whole. This just wasn’t happening although the sea snake was having none of this, I have to respect its perseverance before finally giving up and heading to the surface to breathe again.

The guys in our group went to view the lifeless Moray eel on the reef while I sat on point ready to inform our group of the return of the sea snake who was a tad aggressive and I certainly didn’t want a bite from this reptile. As they were checking out the incapacitated moray, a large sweetlips took an interest into the commotion before a school of 100+ baby Barracuda engaged in what could be described as a stampede racing past our group before being broken up by the presence of the sweetlips. So that was our dive, Boracay isn’t well known for its diving, this particular dive changed my mind about the decision to dive at Boracay again.

Having a look at what Rich Lesser, CEO of BGC Consulting has to say about making the most of your MBA experience is very interesting. He tells candidates to challenge yourself; I have to admit, I haven’t challenged myself nearly enough during my online MBA experience. Could I have pushed myself more?

I maintained my full-time working status taking both Accounting for Leaders and Economics for Leaders as my first two units concurrently. That was just too much so I decided to take only one unit per trimester and by concentrating on just one unit at a time, I hoped to gain a far greater in-depth knowledge of the material, I would like to say this is indeed the case.

That didn’t work out too well during the Operations Management unit, I was sent away to site on assignment before falling ill in dire need of hospitalisation. The next month saw me do very poorly in an assignment as I was in and out of hospital before the medical professionals worked out what was wrong with me.

Had I been doing two units, I would never had gotten through. I would have been indebted big time as I would have to take the unit again and I would have trashed my GPA. As it turns out, we did very well during the group assignment and I ended up with a credit but still I think about what could have been instead of what actually was.

The opportunity to gain experience working with high calibre candidates from diverse professional fields cannot be underestimated whether it is vis-a-vis with teams on case studies or in virtual teams. I really enjoyed working with diverse people, I hoped to tap into their differing viewpoints and perspectives.

Design thinking is currently the new concept underpinning management training programs offered at progressive business schools. The purpose of self-reflection is important, a critical analysis of personal performance with a particular emphasis on team-work and developing leadership abilities is a key outcome.

Honing research abilities supplemented with presentation skills ensures candidates are skilled at small group and large group meetings. In that respect, as a college lecturer I have had plenty of experience presenting material to mid size groups of people so I’m thankful of this exposure as it makes a huge difference to your confidence.