Launching a skilled career

One of Norfolk’s key traditional industries is looking shipshape compared with only a few years ago.

PROFILE: Robert Minney

Date of Birth: August 29, 1985 Place of Birth: Howard Hill, Essex Where do you live? Gorleston with parents. Education (high school, college): Albany School, Hornchurch, Essex; Lowestoft College Qualifications: 12 GCSEs, GNVQ in Yacht and Boat-building.

TOP TIPS

1 WORK EXPERIENCE Try to do work experience in whatever you want to do 2 ENJOY Make sure you enjoy what you’re doing 3 FIT IN Realise that when you start you have to try to fit in with people

Boat-building was for years perceived as a declining industry, and was rarely in the thoughts of school-leavers planning their careers.

With many employees reaching retirement age and no training scheme to bring on young talent, the local branch of the British Marine Federation approached the Learning and Skills Council to set up a scheme to tackle the skills shortage.

Robert Minney has recently completed two years as a Modern Apprentice boat-builder with Goodchild Marine in Burgh Castle, and is now passing on what he has learnt to another trainee.

Goodchild's, a 25-year-old family run business, has been taking on apprentices for over fifteen years. The company recruited their first apprentice 15 years ago and he still works for the company successfully progressing through the ranks to managerial level.

Goodchild's takes on its MAs through the Learning+Skills Council's Modern Apprenticeship programme and training provider, ITE Marine Training in Norfolk.

The Boat Building Apprenticeship programme is made up of 4 days on site training and one day at Lowestoft College working towards National Vocational Qualifications in Yacht and Boat Building. MAs are encouraged to be multi skilled and at Goodchild's the programme covers woodwork, electronics, engineering, plumbing, installation, painting, cleaning and polishing.

At 17, Robert feels he’s come a long way since being taken on. He said: "I've really enjoyed the variety of the MA as no two days are the same. I've also enjoyed the mix of one day at college with the hands on experience in the yard. It's also good to network with other lads on MAs from other companies."

The job entails two interests he already had as a teenager: boats and carpentry.

“I’m not sure I really see myself as an apprentice any more – I’m now teaching someone else how to do something,” he says.

“I had always wanted to do a practical job, something hands on, and I always had an interest in boats. It involved both my main hobbies.”

However it’s not as if the vocational route was the only option available to him on leaving school.

Robert picked up an impressive 12 GCSEs, all of which were grades A-C.

“I’m not sure why I’m a boat-builder,” he laughs. “I suppose it’s about doing what you enjoy.”

What he enjoys most is the woodwork aspect, though he’s also liked being entrusted with a highly responsible task: taking care of the electrics on the local lifeboats.

“At the moment I’m mainly doing electric work, doing the wiring on the lifeboats. It’s important to get it right.

“I mainly enjoy the woodwork, I like that. In the yard where we work we get all kinds of boats – brand new ones to build, but also repair work.
“I’ve built a new boat and also been away and put planks in on an old passenger boat that cruises up and down the river. There’s not much call for old wooden boats but I enjoyed doing it.”

Robert found work with Goodchild Marine after a three-week period of work experience while he was at school in Essex.

His father was serving in the Metropolitan Police and used a Goodchild-built boat, which prompted him to suggest Robert contacted Alan Goodchild.
“Probably two or three years before I left school, I was thinking what am I going to do with myself when I leave,” he recalls.

“The year before I left school I came and did work experience and came here. They offered me the job.”

Various elements of the work appealed to him: “It was the things I could learn. I’m also doing plumbing, electrician work, everything. I’m not learning just one trade, I’m learning quite a few. Working with adults was daunting at first, but it’s very easy to get on with the people here, just like your mates at school,” says Robert.
“They are down to earth people, good for a laugh and a joke, all practical and willing to help.”

Though he’s embarrassed to talk about it, his work has won him a number of industry awards including Modern Apprentice of the Year.

Judges said his portfolio was often used as a working example to new students and new employers, adding that “he has become an ambassador for modern apprenticeships his employers and his industry”.

Pleasing as it must be though, that’s not why Robert’s become a boat-builder.

Rather, it’s the sense of accomplishment that comes with maintaining a highly-skilled traditional craft. He says: “The motivation and the reward is the sense of achievement on finishing a good job.”