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Students help bring Shipbuilding back to Blyth
The ‘ApprenticeSHIP Project’ is funded and coordinated by the Northumberland extended services
team and involves students from Blyth Community College in the design and building of a 15ft
wooden Skerrie Skiff.
A group of year 10 students from the Blyth School have been working alongside a traditional boat
builder for ten weeks to construct the boat. This achievement is remarkable and the project has
highlighted once again the talent of young people in Northumberland.
This project aims to raise aspirations, build self-esteem and empower the students to develop
transferable and life long skills. The students are encouraged to think creatively and critically
and to take responsibility for their learning.
The students involved have displayed a high level of maturity and commitment to this project.
Their enthusiasm and motivation has been inspirational and their work ethic has ensured that all
deadlines have been met.
Edward Gaze, 14, is one of the ApprenticeSHIP students. He said: "I'm finding the
ApprenticeShip project great. It is a brilliant thing we are doing. We have been learning about
team work and traditional boat building techniques. We have started to build the boat and are
working on the oars, mast and hull. I really love the sessions and can't wait for the next one."
Councillor Simon Reed, Executive Member for Children’s Services, said: “This exciting project
will give young people valuable practical and transferable skills to help them in their future
careers and may link into a formal apprenticeship opportunity.
“It is hoped to create a tourist attraction and encourage people to visit Blyth and benefit from a
range of re-development opportunities in the town.”
Alex Finnegan, the project’s boat builder, said: “From a standing start where almost none of the
students had any carpentry experience, we now have three parallel teams making the hull, mast
and oars. The 10 week programme has been designed to allow each participant the chance to try
out each of the various tasks and tools within the build, while also giving the creative overview, of
seeing the process through from collection of the planks of wood to sailing the results in Port of
Blyth.
“This type of project can never replace the countless true apprenticeships schemes lost to
unskilled modern manufacturing techniques and global sourcing of resources. However, if in
some way, through building a little boat we can inspire a group of individuals to take
responsibility for their own learning, who knows where this hands-on approach to education
could take them?”
JNugent@northumberland.gov.uk