Courses
All of our courses are highly practical; students spend less that 10% of their time in the classroom, more than 90% of their time in the workshop. People gain the skills and knowledge that only hands-on experience can bring.
All courses work full-time, five days per week from 0830 to 1730. Each course has at least one dedicated Instructor, with an aim of 40 hours per week contact time. Workshops are also open at evenings and weekends, subject to health and safety requirements being met. While people are at the Academy we want them to make the most of our facilities and expertise.
40-week Boat Building
The flagship, internationally recognised 40 week course in Boat Building, Maintenance and Support incorporating the Level 3 Diploma in Boatbuilding (Advanced) (2473-03), by City & Guilds. The course content is much wider than required by City & Guilds, which is reflected by the additional award of a Boat Building Academy certificate. The BBA Certificate is awarded to those on the course who have demonstrated a level of commitment and achieved commensurate levels of capability and performance. The BBA certificate is effectively a recommendation for employment.
The course teaches students to build boats to professional standards across a range of construction types from modern and traditional wood to composites. Some students are offered the opportunity to build their own boats as part of the course. The course also covers restoration and repair. You do not have to want to work in the marine industry in order to join the course, but we teach to industry standards. Suitable for beginners as well as the more experienced. All students are automatically entered for the City & Guilds Diploma, but can opt out if the qualification is not relevant to their reason for joining the course.
More information on the ‘long’ course
12-week Furniture Making
Intensive and practical: the course includes skill building, a Level 3 qualification and a personal project piece designed and made by the student. It includes 400 hours of scheduled bench time supervised by tutor, Dan Williams, a highly-skilled furniture designer/maker with over 30 years of professional experience.
More information on the Furniture Making course
12-week Advanced Furniture Making
This course is for intermediate students wishing to develop existing skills to a professional standard. We ask that applicants have completed the 12-week Furniture Making/40 week Boat Building course or have equivalent training/experience from outside the BBA.
Explore woodworking techniques including furniture construction, steam-bending, CAD, project design/development, and business studies.
More information on the Advanced Furniture Making course
Short Courses
Two to five day courses in specific aspects of boat building, woodworking and related skills. The short courses are suitable for complete beginners, people wishing to add or hone a particular skill and people who just want to spend a few days by the sea learning something practical. People can build a more extensive training programme by joining a series of short courses. If you are learning the skills with a personal project in mind do let us know in advance, it is also sometimes possible to bring your boat with you to work on as part of the course. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you would like to discuss which course best meets your needs.
