Building for Boaties

SkillsOne heads to Victoria University, where we see hand-on what's involved in the Boat Building course. Matt Jenkin chats to Eric Sandberg, Course Coodinator, from Victoria University.

We look around at the facilities and what the students learn in the boat building courses.

The Certificate III and Certificate II in Engineering - Production (Boatbuilding Pre-Apprenticeship) provides boat builders and shipwrights apprentices with training in the construction and repair of all types of vessels from small pleasure craft and work boats, to large commercial and naval ships.

The course is looking for young apprentices who are working in the boating industry and older life changers who may or may not have a trade already. The course aims to expose students to a bit of everything from fibre glass boat building to timber boat building.

The course covers aluminium and metal fabrication in theory but for ship building and much larger boat construction a trades person would have to do boiler making, welding and metal fabrication separately. Eric says any job or career that has a focus on the ocean is a good choice in Australia.

From timber to fibre glass, students will go beyond repairing boats and will be able to work in manufacturing for Aussie owned companies.