Maiden voyage for boat building Modern Apprenticeship at Borders College

Ever dreamed of becoming a boat builder? @BordersCollege is running a new and exciting course aimed at people looking for a career in the boat building industry.

The long-established Eyemouth Marine company and Borders College recently teamed up to offer the Boat Building and Repair Modern Apprenticeship course, which commences later this year.

This unique course will see students studying towards an SVQ Boat Building and Repair qualification in a newly established state-of-the-art training hub at Brown’s Bank-based company, with a major refit of the current premises taking place.

The hub will also become a digital spoke connected to the South of Scotland Learning Network. As part of this exciting project, a suite of online training materials will be developed in relevant boat building and repair topics.

Katharine Mathison, Acting Director for Borders College Business Development Unit said:

“I am delighted that Borders College is working with Eyemouth Marine on this project. It is a unique opportunity for young people in the east of the region to “earn while you learn” and gain marketable and valuable skills. Eyemouth Marine is a well-established and innovative company and they are ideally placed to offer support, specialist training and practical experience in a busy boatyard.

“This is a hugely interesting and exciting time for both Eyemouth Marine and Borders College and we look forward to developing the digital hub in the future to offer further training opportunities and access to qualifications to the wider community.”

The course can be tailored to the candidate’s needs, with two specialist pathways to choose from – Wooden Boat Building and Repair, as well as Composite Boat Building and Repair and Metal Boat Building and Repair.

Successful completion will see learners gain an internationally recognised qualification which guarantees that they have the skills, knowledge, and abilities required to carry out their role successfully.

By providing very specific and specialised training to the needs of local businesses in the marine sector, this new development looks to both support the local economy and ensure that the future workforce is developed to help address an ageing population within the industry.