Shipwrights Apprenticeship Scheme manager visits Bournemouth & Poole College

The Shipwrights’ Apprenticeship Scheme manager enjoyed a very valuable visit to Bournemouth & Poole College’s new Boatbuilding Centre yesterday. The Fulcrum Centre in Poole has very well-equipped workshops and facilities. The two lead tutors Dan Lovett and Steve Lunn kindly gave the tour. The Shipwrights’ Scheme manager had a good chat with Ben Hodder – one of our currently sponsored apprentices, who is employed at Honnor Marine, Swanage. Ben explained the basic woodworking skills he has developed using a range of hand tools and the various types of joints he has learnt to fashion so far. Ben was clearly enjoying the practical nature of the course.

The other apprentices are mainly employed at Sunseeker, RNLI, Berthon and Compass Tenders – so it is a wonderful mix of companies, and a good rapport and camaraderie was evident. All the apprentices were industriously engaged at the workbenches. It is very pleasing to see Bournemouth & Poole College returning to the Boat building apprenticeship family after an interregnum. The course addresses the vital training and skill requirements of the region’s marine employers, and we hope the college will continue to offer the apprenticeship for many years to come thereby helping to build a sustainable marine industry for the south coast.