First ever apprentice awards at TPLBS
The marine apprentice graduates received awards from Skills Minister, John Hayes
“The future of Britain is going to be as a high-tech, highly skilled economy,” said Skills Minister John Hayes yesterday, adding: “And whilst we can’t build the economy totally around the marine sector, it can act as an exemplar to other industries.”
Speaking at the first ever BMF Apprentice Graduation Awards at the 2012 Tullett Prebon London Boat Show, Mr Hayes said there were “big opportunities”, not just for the apprentices, but the companies willing to take part too.
He added, “One of the myths I want to explode is that one can only gain prowess at work through academic accomplishment.”
It’s a point echoed by some of the apprentices themselves, who gained their certificates yesterday.
Rick Harris, an engineering apprentice with Golden Arrow, added that the combination of physical, hands on and technical skills “stretched” him, adding: “I simply didn't want to be stuck behind a desk”.
Roy Tidman, an engineering apprentice with Discovery Yachts added: “We feel very much a part of the industry, it’s not the same as being in a college setting, we are part of the workforce. And although I like this industry, the skills are, after all, transferrable.”
However, for both Mr Harris and Mr Tidman, getting on to, and finding out about the apprenticeships, “took something like a year and a half." Mr Harris added: “I had to do a lot of research, and went to college for a year before I found out about this apprenticeship. The problem is as I see it, it's a matter of investment and all investment is more difficult in this economy.”
Nigel Stuart, managing director of Discovery, said: “A lot of people do see apprenticeships as being somehow old fashioned." He added that the industry: “needs to make more effort to get the message out about the highly technical skills you get at the end of three years. It’s simply not low-level work.”
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