Berthon Boat Company Ltd
Name: Berthon Boat Company Ltd
Address: Berthon Boat Co Ltd, Bath Road, Lymington, Hampshire, SO41 3YL
Apprenticeship Award: Medium Employer
Sector: Manufacturing (Marine Industry)
Lymington-based Berthon Boat Company has been training apprentices for more than 100 years, during which time it has not only produced generations of skilled marine engineers and electricians, shipwrights, painters and riggers for its own business but also helped to make sure that marine skills are being maintained throughout the industry.
As committed to Apprenticeships as ever, Berthon has trained 30 apprentices over the last five years and has a current cohort of 23. Yard Manager, Keith Longman regards Apprenticeships as the foundation of the workforce and it’s easy to see why as half of the company’s Project Managers are Berthon-trained apprentices. Others have gone on to become team-leaders, department heads and managers at Berthon and in other companies.
Keith says: “Our Apprenticeship programme is vital to our plans for making sure we have the right skills in the right place at the right time. Individuals are monitored closely as they develop and evolve in their favoured discipline, which means that their potential is spotted, harnessed and maximized.
“The future growth and prosperity of the company relies on this home-built supply chain.”
Constantly striving to improve the apprentice’s learning experience and develop new training material covering a wider range of skills, Berthon works closely with its training provider, Paragon Skills, and regards its huge investment in training as money well spent. Higher levels of efficiency ensure a higher gross margin, which allows the company to pay more and attract and retain high calibre candidates. Working with local schools and colleges to raise awareness of the opportunities on offer at Berthon and within the marine industry at large has long been part of Berthon’s practice.
Berthon remains at the forefront of maintaining and improving marine skills, providing a rounded and varied learning journey for its apprentices, who all get the opportunity to enjoy new experiences, such as sea trials and transatlantic crossings, and develop their skills and interests to the full.
Last Updated: 10/03/2010