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Thursday, 22 October 2009
Thunderbolt Marine, a superyacht repair and refit facility located near Savannah, Georgia, is launching a comprehensive marine apprenticeship program. To craft the program, Thunderbolt has partnered with Brooks Marine Group, a widely recognized marine industry management recruiting firm, to provide strategies the two companies can take to address a shrinking trades workforce. The Thunderbolt Apprentice Program, or TAP, has been designed to collaborate with two Savannah area schools in identifying and recruiting the first batch of apprentices. Woodville Tompkins Technical Career Institute is a local technical high school and Savannah Technical College offers various trades vocations. Students from Woodville Tompkins will rotate weekly from shop to shop while students from Savannah Tech will be assigned to one shop and stay with that department for the duration of their apprenticeship. With steadfast dedication to its busy fall and winter schedule, Thunderbolt Marine has invited Brooks Marine Group to open an on-site office; this allows even closer access to Thunderbolt’s Human Resources department in order to facilitate the program. Brooks Marine Group and Thunderbolt are also in dialogue with European shipyards, notably Pendennis, the UK-based yacht facility, as their apprenticeship program has met with continuing success over the past 10 years. “Thunderbolt, like many boatyards and service yards nationwide, has recognized the strategic importance of developing their workforce while promoting marine employment as a strategic tool for current employee retention and the cultivation of new personnel,” says Neal Harrell, principal at Brooks Marine Group. He continues, “An aging workforce, competition with high-tech jobs and the lack of vocational trades’ curriculum are all contributing factors. Therefore, we’ve decided to take a grass roots approach to solving the problem. So far, everyone involved is excited about what we’ve accomplished and looks forward to taking the next steps.” The first group of select apprentices will report to Thunderbolt Marine in early January and will be assigned to the machining, welding, paint, electrical, rigging and mill shops. Students will receive class credit for their participation and be awarded certificates of completion at the end of the program. “This is an absolute win-win for our students and our local industry,” comments Derrick Muhammad, Career Education Director at Woodville Tompkins. “The classroom curriculum, coupled with practical, hands-on experience, is a great way to show our young people the true value of their education.” Thunderbolt Marine Brooks Marine Group (BMG) |
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