National Apprenticeships Week – 5th to 11th February 2024

The maritime skills and qualifications required to undertake aspects of our Harbour operations, such as towage and dredging, take a considerable time to achieve. Finding the right people with these qualifications in a competitive sector can be challenging for smaller ports. At Fowey Harbour we’ve taken a new tack and have invested time and effort into growing these talents and skills from within our workforce.

Nathan Lewis joined our team in 2019 as a Seasonal Patrol Officer, his hard-working and friendly nature, coupled with his obvious love for working afloat, caught our attention. From here, he quickly progressed into a full-time position within the Harbour Patrol and Moorings team, but Nathan’s sights were set higher, with aspirations to become a tug master.

SeaRegs Training in Plymouth have been instrumental in assisting Nathan on his maritime career journey and he has recently successfully completed the excellent 2-year Small Commercial Vessel Crewmember Apprenticeship, which was financially assisted by a government grant.

Harbour Master Captain Paul Thomas said, “Apprenticeship schemes are an excellent way to upskill your workforce using training which can be adapted to the needs of your operations. With the financial support available this is a golden opportunity for small ports to develop staff resilience from within”.