Printer Friendly
Email a Friend
RNLI Riggers Learning the Ropes
01 Feb 2004
The UK's RNLI and training provider ITE have worked together to provide a formal accreditation for the RNLI's boat riggers. No specific formal qualification had previously existed for marine riggers.
Wishing to consolidate rigger's skills and demonstrate professionalism at every level, the RNLI's boatyard operations manager Liam McKenna, who heads the 30-strong fleet support services team, approached Bournemouth based ITE for help.
ITE researched marine industry qualifications and identified that Boat Production and Support Services NVQ Level 2 had sufficient relevant modules to select from to represent a nationally recognisable riggers' qualification. Six of the RNLI's skilled riggers are now being assessed by ITE for nine NVQ modules covering subjects such as stitching, whipping and splicing, replacing boat guard rails, setting up A-frames, and producing lifelines and lanyards.
Liam McKenna said, "The lads are all skilled, experienced members of staff who produce high quality work, but the RNLI invests well in its employees and the qualification helps give them a transferable, industry-standard qualification to strive towards."
The RNLI is also putting one of its former yard hands through a City & Guilds Fitter's course with ITE. He is now training to be an engineer in the boat maintenance team.
MJ Information No: 19130
Images for this article - click to enlarge
Unless otherwise stated, all images copyright © Mercator Media 2008. This does not exclude the owner's assertion of copyright over the material.
Related products
For more information on products mentioned within this article visit
