Apprentice Technician Boatbuilder Review
at RNLI College
Level 3 Apprenticeship
Engineering
Poole, Dorset
Review Submitted: April 2025
Overall Rating
4.1 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
4/5
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Overview of Role
4/5
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Skills Development
3.6/5
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Structure and Support
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
4/5
Aid in the build and repair of RNLI lifeboats, with skills in lamination, paint, finishing, fit out and repair. Work on every part of the build and repair of different boats within the fleet with opportunities for learning throughout the entire factory.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
4/5
The programme ran by Poole and Bournemouth is both informative and gives you a real world qualification that is nationally recognised. You receive hands on training by qualified lecturers who are skilled in their trades of both composites and woodwork. This teaches you to be a rounded boatbuilder from qualification rather than pigeon holed into a specific skill. At the RNLI, there is plenty of opportunity to develop over the 4 years with the experience to place you in any team required.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
4/5
Learnt a lot of new skills which are trade specific, including use of power tools and machinery, laminating, painting, repairing parts, constructing new parts. Opportunities to develop any previous skills with hand tools from school. As the marine trade is a specialised role, there are a lot of new skills developed during this time
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
3/5
The structure is good at the RNLI with regular meetings with our line manager to discuss changes, issues or for further development. There are apprentice projects to help develop individually away from the jobs at hand. The college provides a structured course with goals and targets throughout, but has struggled to manage a lot of numbers in the class for individual learning.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
5/5
Our employers are very keen to be involved in helping aid each individual. Our meetings give us a chance to voice any opinions and they have an open door policy with any questions that may come across. They give you the support you require to complete all college work with pointers towards the departments necessary to ascertain information required.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
4/5
Fantastic support was provided for my end point assessment with weekly meetings to ensure I was pushing towards the correct points and that I could achieve at my highest potential. The tutors would aim to help all they could and were fantastic when aiding any tasks and working towards testing.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
3/5
I felt my overall knowledge was higher than when I started. I can now understand a lot more terminology which aids in working from drawings and specifications. Learning on simple tasks initially gave me a good starting point for learning the fundamentals of hand tools and lamination which spring-boarded my knowledge and understanding of the skills I was to learn.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
3/5
There are careers events to aid attendance with, but my engagement personally has been limited.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend RNLI College to a friend?
Yes
Why?
The working environment is fantastic, it provides a fantastic base for learning all about boatbuilding at the RNLI and sets you up fantastically for a career there. Everyone wants to support you and the whole atmosphere creates a friendly working environment that fully engages you. Also it is brilliant to feel like you are helping the brave crews around the country save lives.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to RNLI College?
Do your research about the company and be enthusiastic. It is a great place to be and everyone is proud to work here. If you understand the fundamentals of who the RNLI are, what we do and a broad understanding of what boatbuilding entails, and have a keen interest then this is the place for you.
