Boat Builder Apprenticeship Program
There are over 50 boatbuilding companies in Nova Scotia, ranging from small companies building one boat at a time, to large operations employing dozens of tradespeople. There are jobs available now for dedicated people.
The Nova Scotia Boatbuilders Association (NSBA) is committed to providing a relevant, competency-based training path for anyone interested in a career in the boatbuilding industry. The program includes Apprentices, Mentors, company owners, and NSBA's Training Coordinator. Everyone's role is described below.
Training Boatbuilders - A Team Effort
Apprentices
If you're looking to start a challenging and interesting career as a Nova Scotia boatbuilder, contact us first. Our Training Coordinator Chip Dickison will look at your resumé and talk with you about your current skills, and find out if the boatbuilding industry could be right for you. You can reach Chip by email at nsbatc@eastlink.ca or by phone at 902-423-2378.
The Training Coordinator will help you find boatyards who are looking for employees. Once you find employment your first responsibility will always be to your new employer. As an employee of the boatyard, you will be responsible for getting your work done on time and to company standards.
Once you have been employed for a minimum of three months, a representative from the NSBA Training Department and the NS Department of Labour and Workforce Development - Apprenticeship Training & Skills Development Division will be registering you as an Apprentice. During these initial visits, the apprenticeship program will be explained to you and you will receive a NS Boat Builder Apprenticeship Logbook. Each Logbook contains the Certification Pathways, Assessment Results Sheets and Evidence of Competency Sheets. For each unit outlined in the pathways, there is a workbook. You will be required to purchase these workbooks at a cost of $45 plus GST each. You will use the Evidence of Competency sheets to record your progress of learning for each skill set. Each time you feel that you're learning a new skill, and can perform this task competently and consistently, ask your Mentor to check your work. If he or she is satisfied, they will record this in your Logbook.
A representative from the NSBA Training Department will visit you and all the other Apprentices quarterly to review your progress. It is up to YOU, the Apprentice, to track your progress and learn new skills. The Registered Mentors are there to help train you, and the Training Coordinator is there to offer support, but it is YOUR responsibility to keep track of your progress - and learn new skills.
Certified Journeypeople and Mentors
Certified Journeypeople are skilled, experienced boatbuilders working on the shop floor. They are among the most skilled in a particular area of boatbuilding.
If you are interested in receiving your Nova Scotia Boat Builder Certificate of Qualification and becoming a Certified Journeyperson, please contact Chip Dickison nsbatc@eastlink.ca for more information.
Mentors are responsible for assessing Apprentices' competency in various boatbuilding skills. He or she also acts as a trainer or ensures that you, the Apprentice, receives the best training for each skill set as well as helping answer Apprentices' questions.
Mentors are given a thorough orientation by the Training Coordinator, and participate in the quarterly review process with the Apprentice and a representative from the NSBA Training Department to make sure the program is running smoothly - and that the Apprentice is working effectively to help keep the shop productive and the work quality high.
Company Owners
Any boatbuilding company that wants to be involved in NSBA's Apprenticeship Program must be committed to training new entrants to the boatbuilding industry. The company president's role is to hire new employees and to encourage them in pursuing the apprenticeship path.
NSBA is excited about this method of training new boatbuilders because it encourages energetic, enthusiastic people to join the industry. The Apprenticeship Program is largely self-directed - it is up to each Apprentice to learn new skills while being a productive member of the boatyard team.
Click Nova Scotia Boatbuilders Association to return to the Training Page.
