Marina and boatyard apprenticeship
The UK’s first marina and boatyard apprentice started work at Fowey Harbour in Cornwall in January, thanks to a training company, which has become the first to roll out the national scheme.
Cornwall Training and Consultancy, which launched in April last year, says it is the first accredited organisation in the UK to place an apprentice into the workplace under the new Marina and Boatyard Apprenticeship, as well as being the first approved centre in the South West to deliver the 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 at the start of January.
Daniel 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 three 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 Harbour, said: ”We are delighted to welcome Dan to our team, and 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 Cornwall Training and Consultancy to equip Dan with the skills he needs to be a safe and efficient marine operative.”
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.
By Jake Frith
