Semta is the Sector Skills Council for Science, Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies, representing a wide range of sectors: aerospace, automotive, bioscience, electrical, electronics, maintenance, marine, mathematics, mechanical, metals and engineered metal products.
Semta developed this framework as it is important for the Scottish economy in terms of the Marine Leisure Tourism Strategy, both for local employment and continuing opportunities for young people around Scotland's coastal communities, that the skills related to boat building and repair are retained and grown.
In 2016, Semta, working closely with stakeholder groups in the Scottish Boatbuilding / Boatbuilding Repair and leisure marine sector, were approached by British Marine who raised the challenges of a lack of qualified adults and young people entering the boat building and repair industry in Leisure Marine and the significant challenges related to the ageing profile of their workforce. They also highlighted this issue amongst other marina and boat building and repair employers, including members and non‐Members of British Marine.
The shortage of technicians with traditional and modern boat building and repair skills is having a major impact on their business, and recruitment of skilled personnel has been costly and limited in success.
Led by British Marine Scotland employer members cited a list of challenges in respect of skills which are referenced in the consultation section of the document as to why a new competence based qualification was required and also longer term the development of a Modern Apprenticeship Framework and pathways for those working in, and encouraging young persons to enter the sector.
Approved January 2019
Modern Apprenticeship Framework: Boatbuilding and Repair at SCQF Level 6