Building boats and dreams

Name: Mathew Thacker
Age: 27
Employer: Riviera
Industry: Metals and Engineering

Matthew Thacker is just 27 years old and a Supervisor at the luxury Gold Coast boat manufacturer Riviera. Upon finishing his apprenticeship he moved quickly into the role of Leading Hand and then into supervisor of Shed 9 overseeing a team of 21.

"I look at myself and my life and see how far I've come. And I've got to where I am because I work hard and I planned to achieve," he says.

"I own a boat, a house and have a wonderful family and a job I love."

Matthew always knew he wanted to be a boat builder or marine mechanic. He grew up near the water in Queensland and built his first boat while he was doing his apprenticeship.

"It was a 17-foot half-cabin. I kept it for about a year and then sold it. It made enough money to give me a deposit on my first home."

On his way to school Matthew used to walk past the Riviera sheds and made a firm decision that he would one day land his dream job at the company.

After securing work experience at a smaller boat building company down the road and doing some part-tme work in the sheds on weekends throughout Year 11, he was fortunate enough to get an interview for an apprenticeship when he left school.

"From my position now, I can see how important it is to do your apprenticeship. It's a safe learning environment. You are there to be trained and you are not expected to know everything straight away."

A typical day for Matthew now involves overseeing projects, training and quality inspections. He says he gets the most satisfaction out of passing on his knowledge to the current apprentices and watching them progress through.

Matthew has also enjoyed some travel with his job. The apprentices are often taken down to Sydney to work on the boat shows and last year Mathew was selected to got to South Korea and work on a major repair.

"With a career in the marina industry there a lot of scope to move, including taking your knowledge and experince overseas."

A love of the ocean runs in the family. Matthew's father was a 'boatie' and on the weekends he spends time with his own young family on the water.

"My main hobby is fishing," he explains. "I love going out with Dad and my two boys love fishing too."

As for the future, it seems the world is Matthew's oyster.

"I want to progress further and get more involved in training. It is my dream to run an entire operation, to manage a Shed from beginning to end."

Best part?
Working at Riviera. There is so much opportunity, and once you do the hard yards there are so many places you can go.

Hardest part?
In my current role I am always looking for ways to improve things, and sometimes it can be hard to make the guys understand how to make things easier and do things better. Managing people can be difficult.

What personal qualities do you need?
You need to want to be successful and you can't just do it for the money. You have to be committed and put in 100 per cent effort

Greatest achievement?
Finishing my apprenticeship and moving into Leading Hand and then a Supervisor role so quickly and at such a young age.

Biggest myth about your trade?
Some people think it's a very messy environment and not pleasant to work in, but that's just not the case.