Apprenticeship training course

Boatbuilder (level 3)

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Information about Boatbuilder (level 3)

Building boats such as yachts, workboats and superyachts, and refitting and repairing existing boats.

• Knowledge, skills and behaviours:
  View knowledge, skills and behaviours

  Knowledge

  • The national and international boatbuilding industry. Types of organisations and products. Supply chain. Customers. Customer requirements. Impacts on product demand.
  • Verbal communication techniques. Giving and receiving information. Matching style to audience. Barriers in communication and how to overcome them.
  • Written records and documentation: requirements and methods including use the of digital and information technology
  • Non-verbal communication techniques.
  • Customer service principles and techniques.
  • Boatbuilding terminology.
  • Awareness of health and safety regulations, relevant to the occupation and a boatbuilder's responsibilities: Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH), electrical safety and compliance, emergency evacuation procedures, Health and Safety at Work Act, Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations, health surveillance, manual handling, near miss reporting, noise regulations, Provision and use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER), Personal Protective Equipment at work regulations (PPE), Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE), confined spaces, work at height and work on or near the water.
  • Boatbuilding materials, including composites, metal, wood, and components: sourcing, costing and budgeting principles.
  • Risk assessment; different types of hazards, hazard awareness, hierarchy of controls and risk mitigation prior to and when undertaking boatbuilding operations. Safety equipment: personal protective equipment (PPE), guards, exclusion zones, signage, fire extinguishers, situational awareness, slips, trips and falls, lone working.
  • Sustainable use of products. Efficient use of resources, materials, tools, equipment and energy. Reducing material waste and environmental impact by applying recycling and disposal procedures.
  • Principles of selecting and allocating tools, materials, equipment and components. Their maintenance, storage, and expiration date. Manufacturers’ instructions, what they are and how to use them.
  • Principles and techniques used in manufacturing boats from composite, wood and metal materials.
  • Principles and techniques used to repair existing boats with composite, wood and metal materials.
  • Principles, techniques and materials to produce, prepare, use, maintain and store plugs and moulds.
  • Standard operating procedures (SOP). What they are and why they are important. What they need to cover and why and where they are located.
  • Quality management standards. Quality assurance principles and practice. Record keeping.
  • Principles of ensuring boatbuilding processes and work products include continuous improvement techniques and how they are integrated into work processes and procedures.
  • Problem solving techniques: diagnostics, root cause analysis, 5 Why’s, PDCA (Plan Do Check Act).
  • Human and commercial factors that affect productivity in the workplace and how to identify potential issues and actions to mitigate them; prioritising, work scheduling, workflow and time management techniques.
  • Maintenance and restoration of the work environment: principles and techniques.
  • Principles of interpreting boatbuilding information.
  • Principles and methods of positioning, holding and securing materials when undertaking boatbuilding operations.
  • The different fastenings, sealants and adhesives, use both internally and externally, above and below the waterline and how to use them. How to ensure the quality of finish meets requirements.
  • The different surface finishes used while undertaking boatbuilding operations and how to apply them.
  • Principles and techniques of protecting surfaces, components and structures at all stages of work operations.
  • Principles and methods of boatbuilding checks and tests.
  • Manufacturer warranties: what they are and impact on boatbuilding work.
  • Maintenance practices and techniques for equipment and tools: planned, preventative, predictive and reactive methods and their frequency.
  • Equity, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace.
  • Principles, techniques and materials to produce, prepare, use, maintain and store jigs and templates.
  • Team working principles.

  Skills

  • Communicate verbally and non-verbally with others for example, colleagues and stakeholders.
  • Apply customer service principles and techniques.
  • Apply health and safety procedures and safe systems of work.
  • Identify and document hazards and risks in the workplace. Apply control measures.
  • Identify, organise and use resources to complete tasks, with consideration for cost, quality, safety, security and environmental impact.
  • Apply environmental and sustainability procedures for example, segregate resources for reuse, recycling and disposal.
  • Follow standard operational procedures when carrying out work processes.
  • Interpret information - paper based or electronic. For example, drawings and designs, formulae, risk assessments, manufacturers' documentation, and repair specifications.
  • Produce, prepare, label, use, maintain and store plugs and moulds.
  • Produce, prepare, label, use, maintain and store jigs and templates.
  • Apply manufacturing techniques to boats such as yachts, workboats or superyachts.
  • Apply repair techniques to existing boats such as yachts, workboats or superyachts.
  • Apply surface finishes such as varnishes, paints, and gel coats.
  • Select, use, and store materials and consumables.
  • Apply surface finishing methods and techniques such as polishing.
  • Select, use, and store equipment, hand tools and machinery.
  • Apply continuous improvement and problem solving techniques.
  • Conduct tests and checks when performing boatbuilding work operations.
  • Apply techniques and principles of maintaining the workplace environment to restore the work area.
  • Record and document information - paper based or electronic. For example, job sheets, risk assessments, process records, test results, handover documents and original equipment manufacturers' (OEM) documentation.
  • Apply routine maintenance and servicing techniques to equipment and tools.
  • Apply techniques and principles of protecting surfaces, components and structures during all stages of work operations.
  • Follow equity, diversity and inclusion procedures.
  • Carry out and record planned and unplanned learning and development activities.
  • Apply team working principles.
  • Plan own work.

  Behaviours

  • Committed to continued professional development (CPD) to maintain and enhance competence in their own area of practice.
  • Consider the environment and sustainability.
  • Supportive of the needs and concerns of others, for example relating to diversity and inclusion.
  • Take personal responsibility for and promote health and safety.
  • Act in a professional manner.
  • Collaborate and promote teamwork across disciplines.
• Apprenticeship category (sector): Engineering and manufacturing
• Qualification level: 3; Equal to A level
• Course duration: 48 months
• Maximum funding: £27,000 ; Maximum government funding for ; apprenticeship training and assessment costs.
• Job titles include:
  • Boatbuilder
  • Shipwright

View more information about Boatbuilder (level 3) from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.