Thursday 10th October 2024
Showground, Wadebridge

UK’s first maritime Marina & Boatyard apprentice starts at Fowey Harbour

THE UK’S first ever maritime Marina and Boatyard apprentice starts at Fowey Harbour in Cornwall this month, thanks to a training company based in St Austell, which has become one of the first in the UK to roll out the scheme.

Cornwall Training and Consultancy (CTC), which launched in April last year, is not only the first approved centre in the South West to deliver the Marina and Boatyard Apprenticeship but is now one of the first accredited organisations in the whole of the UK to place an apprentice into the workplace under the new scheme. The Marina and Boatyard NVQ can also be delivered as a standalone qualification.

The Fowey Harbour Apprenticeship position attracted a large amount of interest and after a rigorous interview process, the successful applicant Daniel Jane joined the Fowey Harbour team on 04/01/2016, becoming the Port’s first Marina & Boatyard apprentice placement.

Daniel Jane is the first of 10 funded apprenticeship placements available to Cornwall Training and Consultancy this year across Cornwall and Devon under the scheme, which is being run in partnership with Cornwall Adult Education.

The program is part of the new government apprenticeship framework in the maritime sector and accredited by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and backed by the British Marine Federation (BMF). The government’s target is 3 million apprentices by 2020 across all sectors.

Cornwall Training and Consultancy co-founder, Dan Hunt, said: “If you wanted to build boats or become a marine engineer, there are already apprenticeships for that, but this is the first of its kind for doing those vital day-to-day jobs in a boatyard or marina.

“We are really proud of the fact that we were the first company in the UK to be approved by the SQA. It’s a great honour to be able to deliver this apprenticeship with Fowey Harbour and get more young people learning while they’re earning in the maritime sector of the South West. ‘

Captain Paul Thomas, Harbour Master at Fowey said ‘we are delighted to welcome Dan to our team, it is especially nice to be able to offer an opportunity to a young person starting on a career in the maritime sector.  We look forward to working with CTC to equip Dan with the skills he needs to be a safe and efficient Marine operative’.

The apprenticeships are open for anyone aged 16 and over. There are no minimum entry requirements, although basic functional skills in Math’s and English are required under the framework, but Cornwall Training and Consultancy has taken care of that and is working with Cornwall Council Adult Education to deliver these functional skills to anyone that needs them as part of the program.

As part of the 12-month apprenticeship, the apprentice will work 37 hours per week gaining industry knowledge and developing the skills and competency to do the job whilst also studying the Level 2 Diploma in Maritime operations: Marina and Boatyard National Vocational Qualification, along with various Level 2 qualifications for the industry. The qualification is backed by the British Marine Federation.

The apprenticeship duties will include: moving, storing and mooring boats, moving loads using lift trucks, maintaining equipment, pontoons, slipways and rigging, cleaning boat and yacht hulls, preparing yachts for rigging/de-rigging and maintaining records.

Can you offer an apprentice position? If so get in touch with Cornwall Training who will support you through the whole process.