Our boat building skills show the way

By WAYNE THOMPSON

Auckland's booming boat building industry is having to look overseas for skilled workers.

Sensation Yachts managing director Ivan Erceg says orders for superyachts are creating the demand.

"We have had to take on a large number of workers from South Africa, who are skilled in steel and aluminium welding. But we have also taken staff from New Plymouth, Whangarei and Wanganui.



His search for workers comes as the Herald runs its initiative to start a discussion on our economic future and how we can make our economy grow faster and create more jobs.

The response has been overwhelming. Readers, business leaders and workers have contacted us to give their views on how to make our country work better.





The executive director of the Boating Industries Association, Peter Busfield, said that in the past year, more than 100 boat builders from South Africa had been allowed by the Immigration Service to work in New Zealand to ease the shortage.



The industry now had 200 people serving 6000-hour apprenticeships, compared with 35 a decade ago.

One of the fruits of the expanding industry will be launched at Henderson on Sunday, when Florida businessman Bob Milhous' multimillion-dollar motor yacht the 47m Aria is launched. It is the biggest superyacht built in Australasia.