Gold Coast superyacht industry establishes training academy

A new specialised training academy has been established at the heart of the superyacht industry on the Gold Coast, Australia, to support record growth and demand for workers.

With a significant number of new yacht constructions and refits taking place on the Gold Coast, the training academy will be the first in Australia to be established at a shipyard.

The Marine Trades Academy programme will be situated at Gold Coast City Marina and Shipyard (GCCM) and will produce skilled marine trades workers to fill labour shortages across the $80 billion (c. €54.5 billion) industry. This will include marine labourers, trade assistants, trimmers, fabricators, painters, electricians, carpenters, shipwrights and plumbers.

Trenton Gay, GCCM CEO, said, “The marine industry is fast-paced, multi-layered and ever-evolving so for those seeking out new career paths, the academy is an ideal way to get the right advice and appropriate training.

“Australia is being recognised internationally now for the quality of marine trades we offer, so it is important that we enhance the flow of job opportunities and talent within the industry.”

Close to 40 superyachts have been brought into Australia in the past year, compared to around 10 superyachts in a ‘normal’ year, with the Gold Coast and Queensland a key gateway to the influx.

The GCCM is part of the 250-hectare Gold Coast Marine Precinct, the largest refit and repair yard in the Southern Hemisphere. More than 90 businesses operate from the precinct, covering all aspects of marine refit, maintenance, and construction for vessels.

Local employment and training specialists, DGT Employment and Training, will head the GCCM Marine Trades Academy programme to deliver tailored support for the on-site businesses and deliver skilled marine trades workers to fill labour shortages globally.

The GCCM Marine Trades Academy will operate alongside a new TAFE Queensland Marine Centre of Excellence, also due to open in the Coomera marine precinct in early 2023.

For more information, visit Gold Coast City Marina and Shipyard (GCCM).

For more news and yachting tips, connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.