Apprentice exchange plan afloat

An overseas experience scheme carries on the tradition of co-operation between Britain and New Zealand, writes ROBIN BAILEY

The New Zealand marine industry has in place a training programme that is the envy of most other sectors.

Apprentice numbers have increased every year to the stage that there are now 540 undergoing training throughout the country.

Now an inter-country initiative with the British Marine Federation is being fine-tuned. It is an exchange that will provide a new incentive for apprentices in this country and Britain to improve their skills with a year's international experience.

The scheme is an extension of the long tradition of co-operation between this country and Britain. It has developed after initial talks between the British Marine Federation and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise in London.

Once the plan was floated to the New Zealand Boating Industry Training Organisation, the reaction from this end was instant.

Director Robert Brooke saw the scheme both as an ideal incentive to reward outstanding apprentices and as a way to give graduates an opportunity to gain valuable experience during their OE.

At a seminar at the National Maritime Museum on May 26 organised by the British Consulate General and the British Marine Federation, New Zealand industry representatives were given an outline of the scheme by Sarah Dhanda, director of training for the BMF.

She explained how the scheme could work and listed some of the options that could be explored to achieve maximum return for those undertaking the programme and the companies involved.

She emphasised that the format required a good deal of additional input both from the industry training aspect and to cater for the requirements of potential participant companies.

Dhanda: "The idea for the programme is based around feedback from employers, particularly in the area of super yachts, about the difficulty of attracting and retaining high quality recruits and the effect this is having on the competitiveness of the sector.

"It is designed to take advantage of and build on the natural migration of workers from New Zealand to the United Kingdom and vice-versa.

"The reciprocal exchange programme could be in place by January 2005, with between five and 10 exchangees, selected from people who have completed a marine apprenticeship in the past two years.

"Those selected will be matched with suitable companies and work for the participating company for a period of one year."

The plan is for the BITO and the BMF to receive applications from their members and work together to match companies.

The two industry organisations will also undertake to monitor the programme through initiatives such as bringing the exchangees together at a suitable point during the year, possibly at special industry events such as boat shows.

The scheme was discussed at the June meeting of the BITO at Tauranga on Wednesday, when aspects of the exchange Brooke had discussed with Dhanda during the Auckland seminar were outlined.

These included timing for the launch of the scheme; the number of exchangees; wages and conditions; employer responsibility; accommodation details; travel details including visas and possible subsidies.

Brooke: "There is a considerable amount of planning and detailed work to be undertaken to ensure that the exchange programme can be implemented efficiently and properly monitored to ensure everything works to the advantage of apprentices from both sides of the world.

"One aspect that was brought up at the seminar was the possibility of incorporating some sort of scholarship aspect to the selection process to reward outstanding apprentices.

"This has still to be developed but is regarded as a factor that could provide an added bonus."

The BITO director says there is still a lot of work to be done before the programme is launched.

However, he agrees with Dhanda, who says: "It is expected that the scheme will in time become a sought-after opportunity for the best apprentices from both countries and will grow to include more than 10 exchangees from each country."