Sunseeker to recruit 40 new apprentices at Poole and Portland

Sunseeker International is looking to recruit 40 new apprentices - nine for their team in Portland and a further 31 to work at its Poole headquarters in Dorset

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Britain’s biggest boat builder, Sunseeker International has announced plans to recruit 40 new apprentices.

The record intake will mean that more than 5% of the company’s boat building workforce will be apprentices, with just over a hundred employed by the luxury yacht firm.

Nine of the new recruits will work in Portland while the remainder will be based at Poole.

The team at Poole will be looking to recruit eight composite boat builders, 11 carpentry boat builders, two carpentry bench joiners, five marine electricians and five marine engineers.

Portland plans to recruit seven composite boat builders and two carpentry boat builders.

Countdown to the Sunseeker Pre-Season Boat Show

The announcement of the new intake coincided with the start of National Apprenticeship Week, part of the government’s scheme to encourage even more people to choose apprenticeships as a fast-track to a great career.

Sunseeker has been part of the government’s apprenticeship scheme since 1979 and has provided many career opportunities across the business with several of the company’s senior managers having come through the programme.

The new apprentices for 2017 will have four different specialisms to choose from, including composite boat building, carpentry boat building, marine electrical and marine engineering.

An apprentice at Sunseeker talks to the Minister of State for Education

Minister of State for Education, Robert Halfon meets first year marine electrical apprentice, Jake Goggin

The apprentices will play a pivotal role on the production lines of the iconic Sunseeker yacht range, from the sporty San Remo through to the brand’s flagship superyachts.

The apprentices will learn traditional shipwright methods to loft and construct boats from wood and composites, as well as installing a wide variety of mechanical and electrical systems, such as hydraulic circuits and stunning audio and visual systems.

Sunseeker said it had recognised the benefits of developing the skills of the future through apprentices for over 35 years and this year’s recruits will take the total number in training at any one time to the highest ever since the scheme was first introduced in 1979.

Working in partnership with Bournemouth & Poole College and its specialist Marine Technology Centre, Sunseeker said it is firmly committed to developing the high standard of skills required the marine engineers and boat builders of the future.

Sunseeker to recruit 40 apprentices in Poole and Portland in 2016

To mark National Apprenticeship Week on 7 March 2017, Sunseeker welcomed the Minister of State for Apprenticeships and Skills, Robert Halfon MP.

During his visit to Sunseeker’s Technology Centre, Robert met with apprentices who work across a range of disciplines including the electrical manufacture of helms and consoles, through to the handcrafting of furniture and upholstery.

Commenting on National Apprenticeship Week, Sunseeker’s talent manager Alex Bowman, said: “Our apprenticeship scheme is hugely beneficial; we would not have been able to grow so quickly if it were not for the people that have developed with us.”

“Many of our highly skilled colleagues, manufacturing leaders and international aftersales team joined us as apprentices,” he noted.

Minister Halfon added: “There really has never been a better time to be an apprentice. I congratulate Sunseeker for getting involved, giving people a chance to climb up the career ladder and get on in the world of work.”

Sunseeker International is offering apprentices a choice of three four-year advanced apprenticeship pathways in marine mechanical engineering, marine electrical and carpentry boat building, as well as one, three-year intermediate apprenticeship pathway in composite boat building.

More details on applying for the Sunseeker apprenticeships are available  here.

For more information, visit the Sunseeker website.