boat building apprenticeship

[Heath]

I've had a reread of the posts & have a bit of a rethink.

Is bulding boats really what you want to do? Bear with me on this........

Working on the production line welding for 8- 10 hours a day, is that what you want to do? Knocking them off the line as quick as you can?

Boat building to me, is building something that can be compared to a work of art , you know, something that the toffs sit on drinking wine.

My advise would be decide exactly where you want to go & do. Your only young, but decisions you make now will dictate what sort of path your future career takes.
Just about anyone can weld a bit of ally together but, to design, impliment and refine into a working product takes brains....... Know what I mean?

[Scott15]

Yeah i know where ya commin from heath, trust me ive thought about it really hard! And the designing of boats, i dont have the brains. I enjoy seeing something go from nothing to the finished product and if ive built it or help build it or even making a few bits and peices and it all go's together id get a fair bit of enjoyment out of seeing that.

Thanks for your input heath and others but i think its what i wanna do. Always been interested in boat building and maybe one day i might build my own boat thanks guys for your concern, much appreciated!]

Scott

[szopen]

I did not know if I should express an opinion.

Now I do.

Heath has a very valid point.

Scott,
Stay in school, leaving it now might seem like a great idea and "gaining freedom" but it might cost you big time in the future.

No rush.

[PinHead]

Yeah i know where ya commin from heath, trust me ive thought about it really hard! And the designing of boats, i dont have the brains. I enjoy seeing something go from nothing to the finished product and if ive built it or help build it or even making a few bits and peices and it all go's together id get a fair bit of enjoyment out of seeing that.

Thanks for your input heath and others but i think its what i wanna do. Always been interested in boat building and maybe one day i might build my own boat thanks guys for your concern, much appreciated!]

Scott

Don't sell yourself short..if you want to design boats then with some extra training, reading etc you can do anything you want. Quite a few years back I saw a niche in the market for someone to do some AutoCad work for contractors in my field..so I got hold of the programme..taught myself how to use it..I did not do a TAFE course for it..I could now sit at home full time and make at least $60 per hour doing drafting...but I get bored with it so I only do a few bit and pieces of it now.

Exactly what apprenticeship is it that you are after? I would have to agree with Heath..welding aluminium till you are 65 does not sound real exciting.

[blaze]

not every body is designed to continue with schooling, I could not have stayed a moment longer than I did. Sometimes it is better to achieve goals one step at a time. How many times have you seen engineering plans go astray because it all seem right on paper but inrealality it won't work because these people have no life experience. It doesnt hurt to do a trade.
Some people are so educated and still unemployed (possibly unemployable)
cheers
blaze

[Sportfish_5]

Scott - at least get that Yr 10 certificate. I left school at Yr 10 - I had had enough of that school crap. Spent a year workin with my dad at his mechanical workshop and went back to night school to get better science marks so I could get into a Pre-Voc Tafe course. Loved that and decided hell or high water I wanted to be a Diesel Fitter and by the end of it I got an apprenticeship. After 12 years I got a couple of breaks and took some left field opportunities to better myself (ie less money) by getting off the tools and into sales and management. Now unbelievably to me I am studying to complete a Masters of Management so you just dont know where you will end up.

It's a tuff call at your age to decide right now what you want to do for the rest of your life but in reality that is not the decision you have to make. More than likely in 10 years you will be working in a totally different field from what you think you want to do right now. You dont know where life's opportunities will take you.

You've got the right attitude mate and if you always stay positive you will make things happen.

Same goes for you too young Phill T.


Good luck

Greg

[szopen]

Blaze,

If I'm correct Scott is 15-16 years old.
I would say finish the school, don't leave it, decide later.
(Although I do not know at what age you finish school in Oz).

What I know is that in most places in the world in this days to have a chance at a better life you must finish high school. No need to close this door if you not pressed for it by economic need.

It doesn't hurt to do a trade, just the opposite very often makes a happier life.

And to put things in a better perspective yes I am an engineer. I also have a few other engineers working for me. Some of the better guys have almost no formal education but with years of experience do much better than some others who went to university.

Did I see engineering plans go astray?
Part of life isn't it?

[blaze]

hi szopen
I just get a bit cranky when goverments etc push for higher education and not all people are ready for it at the time, many people fair far better to gain life experiences first and then do more study. I have said to all my kids to do what makes you happy (lifes to short) eldest son still studying and working part time (computer wiz) 2nd son, spend a couple of years on the dole after year 12 (again computer wiz), then realised what money was for and is now a baker. Daughter is just finishing year 12, defering for 12 months and going to uni on the GC.
IMO people/kids need to go with the flow and follow their dreams, if that means living as a hippy in a commune I think as parents it is our role to support them.
SH*T to much time on my hands and the weather to crappy to fish (150km/h winds today)
cheers
blaze

[Scott15]

PinHead,
Its not that i dont have the brains, I dont enjoy sitting on computers i'd rather be out doing stuff. Boat building can take ya anywhere, For example, my cousin went through his apprenticeship and got moved all over the place, started off at AMM then to REBEL and then onto Noble. He has just left noble to go build big boats over the south side and is now off to russia to fit out cruisers for a few months and gets extremely good pay. And he's only 21 and has been out of his apprenticeship for only 2 years.

Blaze, I can relate to all of what you said.

Greg,
Deffinately going to finish this year and get my certicicate, Many places wont take u on without it. But yes its a very tough call and im not sure if i will regret it or not if i do decide to leave and if thats the case and im not enjoying what i do ill be back to school or get another trade.

szopen,
I wont be leaving if i dont get some sort of trade. Its not something ive decided over night, ive been thinking about this for a long time.

thanks for all yas advice, its not going astray

[philip_thomson]

Good luck scott hope it all works out for you. just remember who gave you that incouragement when you run your own boat building company. ill put my order in now for a big boat (at mates rates of course ).

All the best mate [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

Cheers Phil

p.s. thanks greg

[szopen]

Blaze,

I do agree with the idea that parents should support choices their kids make.

Mine did when I moved to China when I was 19.
It all worked out quite well so far.

Scott,
That is true that there is a lot of high paying jobs in boat/ship building industry.
Sometimes at home sometimes in some strange corners of the world.

If you looking for a trade that pays well and is in the simmilar field try maybe TIG welding, it does require patience, experience and also a natural talent in the hand (last is probably most important). If you can do it well you will not complain about lack of opportunities.

[Scott15]

Good luck scott hope it all works out for you. just remember who gave you that incouragement when you run your own boat building company. ill put my order in now for a big boat (at mates rates of course ).

All the best mate [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

cheers phill, yeah mate lol. gotta get it first

[logan_whiting]

perry cat are looking for people atm !!! they are just behind dreamworld

[Scott15]

thanks mate, you got there website if they have one? are they trailer boats?

[ahjayem]

Good Evening All

Congratulations Scott for your positive attitude, taking initiative, being proactive and being persistent. I believe that you are mature enough to sort out the appropriate advice that has been given here and follow it. Continue to pound the pavement, follow up all the leads until you get what you want.

If I may give you some advice, learn while you can and continue to learn as some of the members have mentioned, while you can and as you need to. If you can’t continue learning at school, then an apprenticeship will further your learning. I would however cast my net a little wider, and gain as much general experience by way of an apprenticeship in metal fabrication, rather than specialising in aluminium boat building from the beginning. Whilst aluminium boats are very popular, it is also important to consider other metals/materials which are welded and also used in the boating industry, - stainless steel, plastic and the many ferrous metals. (I recently saw a really serviceable and stylish plastic boat!) Gain experience with all facets of weldable material, and then specialise in the one with which you will most like to work with for the rest of your life if that is to be the case.

I take some exception to the comments of "CQHornet" and "rando", as whilst you are endeavouring to be helpful, and your individual messages are, you’ve also chosen to be critical of Scott’s punctuation and writing effort, referring to the “little things”, “eye for detail” and “going the extra mile” but at the same time have committed some “bloopers” yourselves. For example:-

... many people that are looking ...

At about nine years of age children in primary school are/were/should have been taught about “relative pronouns” – who, whose, whom, which and that. Who, whose, whom are to be used when referring to people, which and that are to be used if referring to things and objects.

... attention to detail? a prime ...

When punctuating, a question mark (?) denotes the end of a sentence which asks a question. Similarly a full stop (.) ends a sentence. Both the question mark and the full stop should be followed by a capital (the big form, or upper case style of the letter).

Are these cases of “people who live in glass houses” or “the pot calling the kettle black”

Continue to focus on your future Scott, and you’ll succeed!

Tight lines
RJM