BIA Victoria -
General News
BOAT BUILDING GRADUATES FORMALLY WELCOMED TO THE INDUSTRY
Thursday, 31 May 2007
BOAT BUILDING GRADUATES FORMALLY WELCOMED TO THE INDUSTRY
The Boating Industry Association of Victoria (BIA) in conjunction with Victoria University (VU) sponsored an official welcome ceremony for boat building graduates from VU’s Boat Building campus at Newport.
Twelve graduates attended the ceremony with their partners and employers and were presented with a special “Welcome to the Industry” certificate by Neville Whittley (co owner of Whittley Cruisers, Victoria's most awarded fibreglass boat builder).
The event, held at the home of BIA in May, was a special celebration (believed to be the first of its kind) to highlight the valuable profession known as boat building.
Aaron Haigh of Hart Marine attended the ceremony and said events such as this one are particularly valuable to help people realise what great jobs exist in the industry.
Aaron also said that the certificates presented by the BIA boosted morale within the factory, showing the younger apprentices what lay in the road ahead and spurring them on to bigger and better achievements throughout their apprenticeships.
BIA is the peak body for recreational boating in the state and wanted to highlight the need for more young people to consider boat building as a valuable career pathway that can lead in any direction. For example, some of the graduates who could not attend are already working overseas, where there is a high demand for Australian boat builders.
Rick Mitchell, from VU, reports there are currently 50 apprentices studying to be boat builders this year and this number is increasing by 3 to 4 per cent every year.
VU offers the only boat building course in Victoria. The apprenticeship is called a Certificate 3 in Marine Craft Construction.
Image attached – The people in the photo are Ben Switzer (graduate boat builder employed at Nepean Boats in Rye), Neville Whittley of Whittley Cruisers and Gordon Howlett (BIA Vic President).
For more information about this media alert please contact:
Christopher Keegan
Project Manager, BIA Victoria
Tel: (03) 8696 5600
Mob: 0413 523 015
Email: ck@biavic.com.au
Rick Mitchell
Victoria University (Boat Building Campus) - For more information about boat building apprenticeships
03 9284-8422