Rarely have the career prospects for graduates in maritime apprenticeships been as good as they are today. YACHT spoke about the situation with Claus Ehlert-Meyer, Managing Director of the German Boat and Shipbuilders' Association (DBSV).
YACHT: There are currently 430 young people learning the profession of boat builder in Germany - enough young talent to meet the needs of the industry?
Yes, there are still enough applicants in most regions, but you shouldn't rely on it staying that way. However, the number of really good people is declining. We are in the early stages of a serious shortage of skilled labour. Craftsmanship thrives on manual labour, and you need good staff for that.
High school graduates make up around half of the apprentices, more than in any other trade. Are the career opportunities in the water sports industry better than elsewhere?
I believe that career opportunities are currently good in almost all trades. Boatbuilding is no exception.
After the financial crisis in 2008, the industry is feeling the winds of recovery. Have your member companies prepared for increasing demand in the service and maintenance sector?
Our member companies are generally well positioned in this respect. However, compared to other trades, such as a car repair shop, boatbuilding struggles with relatively low hourly rates in relation to the investment required to set up and maintain a boatyard. On the one hand, the ageing of water sports enthusiasts is deplorable, but on the other hand it means that more and more work is being outsourced to boatyards rather than being carried out in-house. This constellation works quite well at the moment, but is too shaky a basis in the long term. Instead, people need to realise that a boat belongs in a shipyard just like a car belongs in a garage. And that brings us back to the issue of skilled labour.
