Take a look at some of the high-spec boats being built in Whangarei and you’ll be impressed by the level of artistry and skill involved. If they inspire you to become a part of this dynamic boatbuilding industry, then NorthTec’s great tutors will give you the skills you need to launch your career. NorthTec has the only boatbuilding programme that leads to a boatbuilding apprenticeship, and almost all the boatbuilding and marine cabinet making apprentices taken on by local boatbuilding firms come through our course.
You’ll start creating from day one, including a beautiful wooden paddle, a range of composite articles and your own plywood canoe. By the end of the course you will have completed four weeks of work experience and will have a real sense of what lies ahead as a boatbuilding apprentice.
Many of the skills you will learn here are also useful for other fields too. For example, the composite skills can be used to customise cars or build cycles.
This is a buoyant industry, with steady demand for motivated apprentices. Make this course your entry point into an industry that could take you almost anywhere in the world.
Programme Highlights
- Brand new training facilities at our Future Trades campus
- Great tutors
- ITO aligned courses
- Apprenticeships
- Learn in Whangarei – a leading boatbuilding environment
Industry Support
These courses are strongly supported by the local boatbuilding industry, including top boatbuilding companies such as Specialist Marine Interiors, Friendship Yachts, Northland Contract Boatbuilding, and CIRCA.
Career Pathways
Certificate in Composite Boatbuilding
- Composite boat builder
- Wooden boat builder
- Super yacht crew
Certificate in Marine Cabinet Making
- Marine cabinet making
- Cabinet making