Maritime Skills Centre open for ideas

This is not just because there are students, ready and waiting to come aboard, but because there’s a real need for the skills, and the centre is open to suggestions from business about how they can develop further.

The point was underscored when Colin Farmery of St Vincent College, who is overseeing the project said, ”We are actively looking for ways to go forward. So if you have an idea, come and tell us, or even better, get involved.”

Keith Edwards of Gosport Ferry Ltd said, “It will be very interesting to see what tailored, bespoke training they can give us, including navigation and seamanship, training that’s centred around what our teams actually do every day rather than the more generic courses we have relied on so far.”

Rounding out what is available, a traditional shipwright component to the training will be offered by the established Maritime Workshop. This takes place on some very interesting conservation and restoration projects. For example, the students are currently laying a new tween deck on the historic clipper ship Cutty Sark and the most recently completed project is the rebuild of Medusa, a 72’ LOA World War II Harbour Defence Motor Launch. Although these ships are often old, the training makes use of modern equipment, including CAD facilities.

On the student’s side of the equation, Steven Agar, the first student signed up at the Gosport Marine Skills Centre, used to work in the construction industry but was finding work hard to come by since the start of the downturn. He originally went to St Vincent College to find out about carpentry and joinery courses, “But when I heard about the marine skills courses, I signed up on the spot. It seems like a really impressive project and I’m hoping it will lead to an apprenticeship or a full time job in the marine industry.”

In fact, it was only last October that the idea was floated between St Vincent College and its partner, training provider Mabway, to provide training focused around the needs of local maritime businesses. Caroline Dineage MP told the audience of 60 which packed the Gosport Marina for the 1 July launch, “the idea that dealing with academia was like wading in treacle”, had been well and truly dispelled.

The first course offered by the new centre is currently recruiting students for a September 2011 start. The Level 1 Marine Engineering course will give school leavers the opportunity to learn the core skills required to develop a career in the marine industry.