NZ Apprentices wanted worldwide

by Waikato Times, May 2008 on 15 May 2008 New Zealand's boat building industry enjoys worldwide recognition, thanks to their legions of skilled workers and more than 10 years of investment in apprentice training.

Since Black Magic stole the America's Cup from the States back in 1995, Kiwi boat builders have built an international reputation for quality and innovation.

In 2006, New Zealand's marine industry exported $560 million worth of boats and equipment. That amount is expected to double by 2015.

Not a bad time to be a boat builder - and, not surprisingly, the industry is on the lookout for new apprentices to ensure there are enough people to cope with the extra work.

Buccaneer Boats managing director Gerry Gerand has four up-and-coming boat builders working for him, all at various stages of their apprenticeships. One of them, 21-year-old Ray Conn, is just one unit standard away from being a fully qualified boat builder.

For the past three and a half years he has been working for Gerry, learning hands-on exactly what it takes to be a boat builder, much more, he says, than he first realised.

'I came from the pre-trade course and thought I knew a bit but my first week here I was like, 'what the hell?!' We had done a bit of practical work at tech, but not a lot. It was a bit of a shock.

'I found out I had the written theory down fine, but the practical was something different. I had to learn as I went and every day was a bit of a challenge.

'You definitely learn from your mistakes, and quickly. If you're not thorough you can waste a lot of money. You learn to get it right the first time - do it once and do it properly - when you are working on expensive boats.'

Ray has been working his way through a National Certificate in Boatbuilding, level four. A marine industry training scheme run in conjunction with the Boating Industry Training Organisation (BITO), it is the only course of its kind in the country.

No longer about time served, boat building apprenticeships now entail a long list of unit standards that cover everything form learning different types of boat building materials - resin, fibreglass, steel and timber - their properties, different building methods such as carpentry, electrical wiring, plumbing and painting, how to interpret diagrams, rough sketches and complex computer-generated designs.

Apprentices attend weekly night classes, block courses and study for a few hours every week, on top of working full-time in the industry to complete their certificate.

The study costs for an apprentice vary considerably. In some cases an employer will pay for all costs associated with apprenticeship study. Other employers pay for study notes and/or block courses, while some have an agreement with their apprentices where the cost of study comes out of their wage.

Ray was fortunate. Some hard work and enthusiasm while he was still at high school resulted in him winning the Tom Schnackenberg Boatbuilding Scholarship, which covered all of his study costs.

When he finishes later this year he won't have a huge student loan to take care of and will start earning boat builders' wages, usually between $16 and $30 an hour.

'You learn so much, so many different things with this trade and the opportunities are endless. When I have finished this I can basically go and work in any trade I like, but I am definitely going to stay with boat building.

'There is a lot of room to move in this industry. You won't get bored and you can travel all over the world. New Zealand boat builders are sought after everywhere.'

More at www.nzmarine.com