Save the Small Commercial Vessel Crewmember apprenticeship

Earlier this week I met with Marine Plant Hire UK, Dart Harbour & Navigation Authority, Kracken Marine Services and South Devon College to discuss Skills England's proposal to withdraw the Small Commercial Vessel Crewmember apprenticeship.

This apprenticeship is the main route into the workboat and small commercial vessel sector, with few alternatives for young people who want a career on these vessels. Support for keeping it was strong and unanimous.

The proposal rests on low numbers of starts, but a specialist apprenticeship serving a specialist sector will always have lower volumes than a mass-market one. The results speak for themselves: 141 apprentices in the South West have completed it since 2017, and around 85% of those who started went on to finish.

Maritime is a growing industry in South Devon, and it needs skilled crews. I have written to the Skills Minister and the Maritime Minister urging them to keep this apprenticeship, and I will keep pressing the case.