Professional BoatBuilder - April-May 2018

76 Professional BoatBuilder

PARTING

SHOT

A

t some point in everyone’s career

they stand back and think about

where they came from and where they

are going. The looking-forward part

most often includes training or educa-

tion to advance in the current job or to

learn skills for a different career path.

Education and job certifications are as

unique as every individual, and are

often transferable from one trade to

another. When I look back at my own

working life, I am amazed at how the

training and certifications from my

earlier careers set me up to be success-

ful in the job I have now. Who knew

that as a professional firefighter I

would learn skills I now use in a boat-

yard? I had no idea along the way that

I would be where I am now, so I can’t

take much credit for making con-

scious, deliberate decisions. Upon

reflection, it’s clear that what got me

here was eagerness to learn everything

I could and an interest in trying new

things. The rest was fate.

As a custom boatbuilder and boat-

yard owner I wear many hats, the most

important of which is keeping myself

and my employees trained and up to

date on changes in our industry. Many

of the crew we hire have some certifi-

cations, but most often we select peo-

ple who have a real interest in boating

and an aptitude for learning. In our

corner of Maine, experienced employ-

ees are hard to come by, so in-house

on-the-job training is the norm. But

this approach can take an employee

only so far. At some point, someone

growing in the profession will need

advanced training from outside our

yard.

Like most of the nation, Maine has

no effective formal marine-trades-

apprenticeship program, though I

appreciate various efforts under way

to create one. While we have some

really great schools for boatbuilding

and marine trades in our area, it’s not

practical to take employees out of the

workplace for the long stretches of time

their programs demand. So our default

for training is the American Boat &

Yacht Council (ABYC). I disagree with

some criticism the organization has

had recently in these pages (see the

Parting Shot “Uncertain About Certifi-

cation,” in Professional BoatBuilder No.

170). I see ABYC as essential baseline

training for both the standards we use

in boat building and repair and the

minimum education my employees

need to be successful in their careers.

The cost is affordable, and the time

away to train and test is manageable.

It is the only option we have at the

moment, and it works very well for my

crew. From my perspective, when I hire

people with ABYC certifications, I

know they have the basics down, and

for the rest of their skills I’ll look else-

where in their résumés.

Here’s a message for prospective

employees: Don’t be put off if you don’t

have experience. Most people in this

industry fall into it because they love

boats. Their backgrounds and formal

education often have little to do with

the jobs they hold. You don’t need to be

certified or have schooling to get hired,

though it certainly helps. Most of the

boatbuilders and yard crew I know are

valuable because their skills are not

highly specialized. They are well

rounded and can do more than one

thing, be it woodwork, fiberglass, wir-

ing, onboard systems, or sometimes

just being organized. If you think you

want a career in boats, then get started.

Gain experience. Then, once you have

mastered your position in your com-

pany, get some training outside and

better yourself. Read this magazine,

and take an ABYC course that interests

you. One great thing about knowledge

is that no one can take it away from

you. You take it with you through life

as well as from job to job. Enjoy your

career and learn what you can every

d ay.

When the time comes that you are

dissatisfied with the training available

to you, look to improve it. Become the

teacher. Pass your experience and wis-

dom on to those around you and the

generations moving up. There is a

whole side career in teaching. Think of

Steve D’Antonio, Nigel Calder, and

Roger Hellyar-Brook—the guys mov-

ing our industry forward by teaching.

Give back to the industry that has sup-

ported you. It is easy to point a finger

at ABYC or a trade school and say they

are not up to par. It is another thing to

step up and be the teacher, but the fact

is everyone needs people with experi-

ence to learn from.

We all have the opportunity to grow

and learn in our lives and in our

careers. Some people actively advance

their careers, and some are content

with the status quo, but it is nearly

impossible to go through life and hold

down a job without picking up valuable

skills or information that stays with

you. The rewarding path is to learn

something new every day, and then to

share what you know with others. It

keeps your mind engaged and gives

you more than a couple of reasons to be

glad to get up in the morning.

About the Author: Leon MacCorkle has

been in love with all things boating since

his first job as a boatbuilder at age 14.

His career has come full circle, as he now

owns Padebco Custom Boat Builders

and Boatyard in Round Pond, Maine.

What’s Certain About Training Is You

by Leon MacCorkle

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