Page 35 - 2_Council Journal Summer 2019_full

New Ship Launched to
Spearhead Marine
Engineering Training
A Marine Engineering Traineeship was launched this month with the overall aims of
attracting new employees into the marine industry and providing them with the basic Tskills to allow them to work effectively from the start of their employment.
FEATURE Marine Engineering
he training programme has which are important to On successful completion trainees been developed by a steering employers.”The traineeship will run will receive a City & Guilds Level 2 group of boat building and for a total of 32 weeks, including 9 Certificate in Marine Construction, maintenance employers weeks of work placement with a Systems Engineering & Maintenance.
(Brian O’Sullivan - Marine, Tralee; Ger suitable employer. Christy Enright, Enright also noted; “The traineeship Sullivan - Bere Island Boatyard; and who is coordinating the programme offers a rich learning experience by Murphy - Murphy Marine Services, on behalf of Kerry ETB, highlighted combining periods of tuition with Valentia); in conjunction with Kerry that “The training is fully funded, as periods of supervised work practice. ETB as partner. in, there are no course fees. This This gives participants the time to
The programme will also help to provides an ideal opportunity for acquire and perfect the variety and address any skills gaps that existing those seeking employment within the standard of skills required by employers within the industry are industry to gain a range of valuable employers.
experiencing. The Marine Engineering skills, and for employers to upskill In over 30% of the traineeship will Traineeship is the first of its kind in their staff. The trainees will get the be On the Job learning.
Ireland, dedicated solely to the opportunity to apply their skills with The period of on the job work
requirements of the Marine Industry, with focus on the skills needed for the service and maintenance of commercial fishing vessels. At the marine industry employs several thousand persons in Ireland with over two hundred employers providing maintenance and repair services. The majority of employers are located in rural areas, and the traineeship will provide support in providing highly skilled prospective employees.
a suitable employer through the work experience towards the end of the traineeship.”The traineeship will also provide a significant level of health and safety training, which would ordinarily need to be provided by an employer. The training will include, for example, First Aid, Manual Handling, Abrasive Wheel and Safe Pass training as well as Powerboat Level 1 and 2 and VHF licences. The main elements of the traineeship will include the following:
experience also provides an ideal opportunity for an employer to review the skills of the trainee” The traineeship will serve as a programme for the marine industry.
The traineeship will be run as a pilot programme starting in September 2019. Chairperson of the development group, Brian O’Sullivan ( Marine, Tralee) highlighted “This traineeship presents a great opportunity for the industry to engage with a dedicated skills development programme, which will enhance the industry as a whole in future years. The pilot programme will be fully reviewed after the first running, and the traineeship will evolve as we identify other elements
• Introduction to the Marine Industry
The Steering Group is planning further programmes to support the industry and trainees who wish to progress their careers further.” Others will be co-opted onto the Steering Group as the need arises.
• Principles of boatbuilding technology
• Marine Engineering processes and principles
• Composite manufacture for marine construction
This article was originally published on www. Afloat.ie, reprinted with permission.
Council Journal 35
• Servicing and maintenance of marine engines
• Basic fabrication, welding and machining.
O’Sullivan noted that “Trainees will enhance their skills further on the job with their prospective employers, and in time may specialise in a particular area.