The Shipwrights' Company Apprenticeship Scheme

The Shipwrights Company Apprenticeship Scheme has now closed after eight highly successful years, and these pages are now archived and no longer active or updated.  The SA Scheme was an ambitious and innovative programme that operated successfully for eight years from 2014 to 2022.  During the scheme some £785,000 was allocated to 94 small marine businesses allowing them to employ 125 young people on formal Level 3 apprenticeships complete with college education.  The SA Scheme’s strength lay in the fact that it addressed a real need which resulted in the substantial initial grant from Lloyd’s Register Foundation without which nothing would have been possible.  However, its success is directly attributable to the experience, professional expertise and dedication of those members of Shipwrights’ Company who served on its committee and the employment of a full-time manager working within the established structure of the Shipwrights’ Company.  The Company has written a Post Operation Report which it hopes contains sufficient of the acquired knowledge and experience gained that the SA Scheme, or a similar venture, could be repeated by the Shipwrights’ Company or any other Livery Company.

For an overview of the Scheme’s modus operandi and service please read on below.  You can also click on and read the apprentice reports/case studies from every year of the Scheme’s operation.  To see an interactive map and a list of clickable links to most of the employers we have sponsored on the Scheme click on the ‘Shipwrights Apprenticeship Scheme Employers’ page.

If you are an business or individual and seeking further and advice information on apprenticeships please contact: info@britishmarine.co.uk

The main colleges/training providers for apprenticeships in the marine industry which you could contact for further information are:

Marine Engineering - Engines and Propulsion Apprenticeship Level 3 | Bournemouth and Poole College (thecollege.co.uk)

Boat Building Apprenticeship (Composites and Wood Trades) | Bournemouth and Poole College (thecollege.co.uk)

Marine Skills Centre - City College (southampton-city.ac.uk)

Marchwood Construction & Marine Technologies Centre | Brockenhurst College

South Devon College Marine Academy - South Devon College

Marine Engineering & Boatbuilding - Falmouth Marine School

Find the right Apprenticeship Vacancy for you | Falmouth Marine School

Marine Apprenticeships | Boat Building Courses| - Paragon Skills

The Worshipful Company of Shipwrights' Apprenticeship Scheme encourages small businesses in the marine sector to train apprentices and harks back to the founding principles of the company. To date, with the support of our generous corporate benefactors and individual donors, we have provided 104 separate grants to 94 marine SMEs enabling them to provide 125 apprentice starts.

  • Are you a modern, progressive SME marine business?
  • Do you want your company to flourish and prosper?
  • Is your ambition to build a business that is sustainable and ‘future proofed’?
  • Yes? Then marine apprenticeships are ideal for you!

An apprentice can bring new ideas, new ways of working, and with their enthusiasm and spirit can energise and reinvigorate an organisation from top to bottom…

What marine apprenticeships are available?

New apprenticeship standards have been developed in Marine Engineering, Boatbuilder and Marina and Boatyard Operative. Fresh standards in Marine Electrician are also under development. These new standards are all set at level 3 which is equivalent to two ‘A’ levels. This means a marine apprenticeship programme is now more challenging than ever before, attracting talented young people who are ready to meet the demands of a modern marine business like yours. Standards are also reviewed regularly to ensure they are still relevant to the fast-changing needs of the sector. In academic year 2019-20, we also funded for the first time our first Workboat Crewmember Apprentices at level 3, working for a commerical marine organisation.  In 2020-21 we will also begin funding the new Boatmaster apprenticeship standard for commercial operators on the Thames and elsewhere. A very exciting development!

What are apprenticeship standards?

Standards are designed and written by a group of representative employers and not solely by academics. They outline the knowledge, skills and behaviours that a role requires. Because they are designed by employers from the sector, they are relevant, contemporary, and designed to be ‘fit for purpose’ for your business. Under these new standards, the apprentice is now independently assessed at the end of their training. Therefore, their final grade is awarded in an impartial and objective way – just as with all other qualifications. Standards are also reviewed regularly to ensure they are still relevant to the fast changing needs of the sector.

The Shipwrights Company bursaries and how they can help…

Established in 2014, and supported by Lloyd’s Register Foundation, the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation, the Baltic Exchange Charitable Foundation and other donors,  the Shipwrights company has been offering grants to approximately 20 employers a year to financially support an apprentice in their first year. The initial year is often the most financially difficult for an employer when recruiting a new apprentice - and at the Shipwrights we understand the pressures on an SME business. The bursary is only open to SMEs businesses who do not pay into, or benefit from, the apprenticeship levy.

What other help is available?

Your dedicated scheme manager will:

  • Help you with the ‘end to end’ application process
  • Refer you to a training provider that can meet your needs
  • Advise on managing an apprenticeship programme from recruitment to graduation
  • Provide information, advice and guidance on apprenticeship standards
  • Signpost you to further training opportunities through our partners at British Marine….and so much more!
  • Interested in applying or just finding our more....
  • Then contact our dedicated bursary scheme manager at sascheme@shipwrights.co.uk

Lloyd's Register Foundation

The Lloyd's Register Foundation's strategy for 2014-2020 focuses funding on four strategic themes: promoting safety and public understanding of risk; advancing skills and education; supporting excellent scientific research, and accelerating the application of research. The Shipwright's Apprenticeship Scheme satisfies the second of these strategic themes; advancing skills and education. For more information on the LR Foundation, the projects they fund, and how to apply and get involved click on their website logo below.

 

Apprentice Case Studies

 

 2021-22 apprentices (mid-year and final progress reports)

Ashlee Barrell - Cox's Boatyard - Mid year report

Ashlee Barrell - Cox's Boatyard - Final report

Bradley Drinkwater - Cotswold Boats - Mid year report

Bradley Drinkwater - Cotswold Boats - Final report

Casey Bruty-Holloran - Woods River Cruises - Mid year report

Casey Bruty-Holloran - Woods River Cruises - Final report

Craig Johnstone - DDZ Marine - Mid year report

Craig Johnstone - DDZ Marine - Final report

Owen Freeman - Jenkins Marine - Mid year report

Owen Freeman - Jenkins Marine - Final report

Jack Pearce - Zenith Marine - Mid year report

Jack Pearce - Zenith Marine - Final report

Josh Allsopp - Smith's Boatyard - Mid year report (Stelios Philanthropic Foundation Sponsored Apprentice)

Josh Allsopp - Smith's Boatyard - Final report (Stelios Philanthropic Foundation Sponsored Apprentice)

Theo Aers - Servowatch Systems Ltd - Mid year progress report

Theo Aers - Servowatch Systems Ltd - Final report

Tom Lewis - Peninsula Marine - Mid year proress report

Tom Lewis - Dinghy restoration project- Peninsula Marine

Tom Lewis - Peninsula Marine - Final report

2020-21 apprentices

Ben Hodder - Honnor Marine - Case study

Charlie Moore - Blackwater Marina - Case study (Baltic Exchange Charitable Foundation sponsored apprentice)

Ellis Bell - Spencer Rigging - Case study (The Simon Kverndal sponsored apprentice)

Harvey Sainsbury - TLC Refit and Repair - Case study

Jamie Lorimer - Pharos Offshore - Case study (North P&I sponsored apprentice)

Jay Walsh - Aquamare Marine - Case study

Matt Jones-Hughes - Aquamare Marine - Case study

Shay George - Aquamare Marine - Case study

Toby Poultney - Marcus Lewis Boatbuilder - Case study

Thom Dyer - Island RIBs - Case study

Will Tewson - Rob Perry Marine- Case study (Stelios Philanthropic Foundation sponsored apprentice)

2019-20 apprentices

Charlie Hawkins - RWO Marine Equipment - Case study

David Patterson - Butlers Wooden Boats - Case study

Edel McCarthy - Scottish Maritime Museum - Case study

Eleanor Margetts - Pioneer Sailing - Case study

Jacob Penaluna - Triskel Marine - Case study

Jacob Roach - Will Squibb Boats - Case study

James Stacey - Morgan Marine - Case study (Stelios Philanthropic Foundation sponsored apprentice)

Josh Rutter - Marshall Marine - Case study

Ollie Boosey - Elite Sailing - Case study 

Owen Hughes - Oarsome Chance - Case study

Philip Kinrade - Ramsey Shipping - Case study

Toby Poultney - Marcus Lewis Boatbuilder - Case study

Ryan Salmon -Vasi Southern - Case study

Simon Styles-Burgess - Northshore Shipyard - Case study

2018-19 apprentices

Daniel Hewett - Energy Solutions - Case study

Jack Sullivan - Cockwells - Case study

Luke Symonds - Oarsome Chance - Case study

Matt Brown - Northshore Shipyard - Case study

Michael Dyer - Northshore Shipyard - Case study

Michael Callen - United Marine Services - Case study

Nick Mason - X Yachts - Case study

Patrick Conway - Servowatch - Case study

Sion Eccles - West Coast Marine - Case study

Tom Dickinson - Kings Boatyard - Case study

A selection of case studies from earlier years of our Apprenticeship Scheme

Adam Smith - R Cann & Son - Case study

Ben Manning - Cotswold Boat Hire - Case study

Bradley Grundy - Rice and Cole - Case study

Callum Ransley - Gosport Ferry - Case study

Callum Courtney - Herbert Woods - Case study

Chris Hyland - Energy Solutions - Case study

Jake Ross - Overwater Marina - Case study

Joe Boothby - Blyth Tall Ships - Case study

Lewis Martin - Church Minshull - Case study

Lewis Wilde - Island RIBs - Case study

Owen Garbutt - Romica Engineering - Case study

Owen Reed - Krueger - Case study

Patrick Conway - Servowatch - Case study

Sam Hicks - Blackwater Barge - Case study

Sam Walker - Barnes Brinkcraft - Case study

Taylor Curtis - Energy Solutions - Case study

Read the latest news on the Shipwrights' Apprenticeship Scheme

Letter from an apprentice alumnus in thanks!

This week we received a lovely message of gratitude from one of our most outstandingly talented apprentices that we have...
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Sponsored apprentice Ashlee Barrell Wins Prestigious Young Persons’ Development Award for 2022

Ashlee Barrell, one of our sponsored apprentices for 2021-22 at Cox’s Boatyard, Norfolk, recently won the coveted European Commercial Marine...
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Zenith Marine Services and their apprentice both win prestigious awards…

Jack Pearce, one of our 2021-22 sponsored Boatbuilder apprentices, employed at Zenith Marine Services in Plymouth, recently won second place...
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The ‘Nautical Group’ exhibit at the London Careers Festival

On the 28th and 29th of June, the Shipwrights Company exhibited at the London Careers Festival hosted at the prestigious...
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2022 Annual Shipwrights’ Lectures – 19 October

The 2022 Annual Shipwrights’ Lectures will be held on Wednesday October 19th at the MAST Mayflower Studios, Southampton 2021 saw...
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Apprentice Ashlee Barrell, outstanding Marine Engineer in the making…

Ashlee Barrell, aged 19, started as a marine engineering apprentice at Cox’s Boatyard in Norfolk, last year. Ashlee is one...
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