Marine apprenticeships – a win-win for all

Attracting young people into the marine sector is a concern for many employers. Could apprenticeships be the solution by allowing diverse new talent to be trained and learn as they work?

Apprenticeships began as a contract between an apprentice and master craftsman to learn a particular trade that has varied throughout the centuries, from carpentry in the Middle Ages, to engineering in the 1900s. Shipbuilding has always had its history of apprentices, dating back to the woodworking shipwrights of the Medieval Ages, to the modern day’s iron and steel ships. 

Today, apprentice programmes offer a targeted route for young people to get a foothold in a company and develop their careers. At a time when the marine sector is afflicted by significant skills gaps, apprenticeships could be the solution. 

But government policies and funding for apprenticeships vary hugely from place to place. Compared to the US and UK, apprenticeships are a much bigger part of the economic fabric in Switzerland, where nearly 70 percent of Swiss students go on to do an apprenticeship, while only 25 percent choose a traditional university pathway. In the UK, a reported 204,000 apprentices are taking part in schemes and programmes during the 2021/22 academic, an increase on the previous year but down almost five percent on 2018/2019. Much ground needs to be made up. 

Where apprenticeships are available in the UK 

Employers from across the sector are committed to developing apprenticeship programs, with organisations such as British Marine, Royal Navy, Seafish Authority, and Workboat Association making apprenticeship announcements along with Associated British Ports, a major marine employer in the UK, with 21 ports, that handles 25 percent of the UK’s seaborne trade.  

Also announced recently, the Ferguson Marine three-year apprentice programme offers 15 full-time positions for roles including fabricators/welders, mechanical fitters, pipefitters and technical engineers that combines classroom training with shipbuilding projects. Apprentices will work full-time on the job in the final year. 

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Now is the time to offer apprenticeships 

But more apprenticeships are needed to keep up with the fast-growing needs of the marine industry. Alice Goward Brown, co-chair of the IMarEST's Offshore Renewables Special Interest Group (ORSIG), believes we don’t have time to wait for today’s students to make their way through the university system. 

Apprenticeships are especially valuable during these changing times. Alice explains: “The skills shortage needs tackling now to prevent burnout in the industry and to ensure that we have the appropriate workforce in place to meet our net zero targets and beyond.” 

The senior renewable energy consultant says that a workforce transition from oil and gas to offshore renewables could involve direct skill transfer or retraining, adding: “This is where bodies such as MLA College comes in. (Re)training staff is costly in resource and time for individual teams and companies, who are already stretched. Independent specialist training providers are well placed to offer courses to address the direct needs of upskilling and reskilling a workforce.” 

Apprenticeships can be continually updated as they are developed. Through the Maritime Skills Alliance and other bodies, a range of apprenticeships are still being developed according to David Tournay, Secretary of the Maritime Skills Alliance: “The Maritime Skills Alliance is only too aware of the skills shortages faced by the marine sector. Potential employees have a wide choice of career options open to them, within and outside of the maritime industry. Our members, and the wider sector, recognise that the offer of high quality, work-focused training plays an essential part in attracting new staff.” 

Support for the future 

Unlike some internships, apprenticeships in the UK are paid with the conditions outlined by government. Support is available through MLA College, Marine Skills Alliance and the UK government. Small UK businesses can claim government co-investment towards the costs of apprenticeship training, paying just 5 percent of the apprentice’s training and assessment fees, while the UK government contributes 95 percent.  

Grants and assistance for apprenticeship programmes are also available in many other countries, including the US, where the first Apprentice Panel Survey Report calls for more steps to be taken in the marketing of apprenticeships to promote the value of apprentices to employers. 

Apprenticeships in the marine sector really are a win-win for all. Investment is made in new talent with opportunities given to young, diverse communities, as the sector benefits from skilled workers that are needed for the future. 

For more, read ‘The importance of innovation and attracting talent’ examining the key trends for Offshore Renewables Special Interest Group from January 2022. 

Clarissa Wright is a freelance journalist.