Boatyard Apprentice

Gain hands-on experience servicing, maintaining and repairing marine engines and vessels, alongside boat valeting and marina operations. You will work towards the Level 3 Land-Based Service Engineering Technician apprenticeship standard in a varied marine environment.

Wage:
£15,392 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age
National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices
Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Training course:
Land-based service engineering technician (level 3)

Hours:
Monday - Friday. Summer working hours are typically 8.00am - 5.00pm and winter working hours are typically 8.30am - 4.00pm. 37 hours a week

Start date:
Tuesday 1 September 2026

Duration:
2 years

Positions available:
1

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work:

• Assist with the servicing, maintenance and repair of petrol and diesel marine engines
• Work on a wide range of inboard and outboard engines, from small engines through to V8 and V12 applications
• Support fault finding, diagnostics and electrical repairs on marine vessels
• Assist senior engineers and technicians with complex repairs and maintenance tasks
• Carry out antifouling work, including preparing hulls and applying coatings and bottom paint
• Undertake boat polishing, detailing, valeting and preparation to customer-ready standards
• Prepare boats for handover, including inspections, maintenance checks and presentation
• Operate marina equipment, including the fuel pontoon and pump-out station, following safe working practices
• Assist with hire boat preparation and customer handovers, including explaining safe vessel operation
• Support the movement of boats around the marina and assist with hoist and boat lift operations
• Liaise professionally with boat owners, customers and visitors, providing excellent customer service
• Support boat sales activities where required
• Carry out basic administrative duties, maintain service records and use internal systems to log jobs and parts
• Assist with social media and marketing activities where required
• Help maintain a clean, safe and organised workshop, boatyard, marina and pontoon environment
• Support wider marina and business operations as required, gaining experience across all areas of the business
• Follow all health and safety procedures and contribute to a positive working environment

Where you'll work:
BURTON LANE END
BURTON WATERS
LINCOLN
LN1 2WN

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Training provider:
BISHOP BURTON COLLEGE

Training course:
Land-based service engineering technician (level 3)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn
Course contents:

• Interpret technical data, documentation, schematic diagrams, wiring diagrams and technical specifications.
• Work in accordance with Safe Systems of Work and apply control measures such as Health and Safety at Work Act, lone working, working at height and risk assessments adopting mitigation measures to safeguard, bystanders, the public, property and livestock.
• Use digital equipment to interrogate land-based machinery, equipment and prime mover performance and extract data and communicate to stakeholders.
• Obtain information from colleagues and stakeholders employing a range of techniques.
• Establish the information required to perform an efficient and effective diagnosis.
• Communicate technical matters to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Perform repairs of technologically advanced land-based machinery, equipment and prime movers in accordance with manufacturer's guidelines and industry standards.
• Measure and assess wear tolerances and deformation in line with manufacturer instructions or guidance.
• Identify components that require either repair or replacement, including providing alternative solutions for repair or replacement as appropriate.
• Repair or replace component parts in accordance with manufacturer guidelines.
• Establish and replicate the circumstances and conditions that give rise to reported faults.
• Determine whether reported symptoms are a characteristic or a fault.
• Diagnose faults and reported underperformance of land-based machinery, equipment and prime movers using approved diagnostic procedures and equipment and logical problem-solving techniques.
• Maintain, interrogate, calibrate and repair electronic equipment and systems, including precision technology, electronic management systems, telemetry, autonomous and automated operations used in the land-based sector.
• Differentiate between the root cause and symptom of land-based machinery, equipment and prime mover failures.
• Identify crop, soil, climatic and environmental factors that impact on the performance of land-based machinery, equipment and prime movers.
• Identify the equipment settings appropriate to the working conditions giving due consideration to crop, soil types, conditions and environments, weather and climatic conditions.
• Perform verification tests to check performance against manufacturer specification land-based machinery, equipment and prime mover performance.
• Identify stakeholder requirements and provide tailored advice that informs their selection and operation of appropriate machinery, equipment and prime movers to meet the land based environment in which it will be operated.
• Applies supervision and mentoring techniques to support junior colleagues' development.
• Plan and prepare maintenance or repair work schedules for showing task allocation, sequencing, workflow and time management.
• Compile technical reports and statements.
• Provide technical input to facilitate the compilation of repair schedules, action plans, quotations and estimates.
• Identify the parts and services required to enable the reinstatement of land-based machinery, equipment and prime movers for the purposes of estimates and quotations.
• Perform installation and handover of machinery, equipment and prime movers, explaining their safe operation, the settings required for the environmental conditions and application, the maintenance and warranty requirements.
• Establish level of customer understanding of how to operate the machinery or equipment following installation and handover.
• Use predictive and preventative maintenance effectively to minimise land-based machinery, equipment and prime mover downtime.
• Identify toxic and hazardous substances and environments and apply suitable and sustainable control measures.
• Dispose of equipment, components and substances in accordance with environmental regulations, industry standards and company policy.
• Keep up to date with advances in environment land-based working practices and the land-based engineering technologies and share best practice.
• How contextual factors (including operational techniques, application, crop, soil types and conditions, environments, weather and climatic conditions) impact on machine performance and faults.
• Repair complex electrical and electronic systems in accordance with job requirements.
• Interpret technical data, documentation, schematic diagrams, wiring diagrams and technical specifications.
• Work in accordance with Safe Systems of Work and apply control measures such as Health and Safety at Work Act, lone working, working at height and risk assessments adopting mitigation measures to safeguard, bystanders, the public, property and livestock.
• Use digital equipment to interrogate land-based machinery, equipment and prime mover performance and extract data and communicate to stakeholders.
• Obtain information from colleagues and stakeholders employing a range of techniques.
• Establish the information required to perform an efficient and effective diagnosis.
• Communicate technical matters to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Perform repairs of technologically advanced land-based machinery, equipment and prime movers in accordance with manufacturer's guidelines and industry standards.
• Measure and assess wear tolerances and deformation in line with manufacturer instructions or guidance.
• Identify components that require either repair or replacement, including providing alternative solutions for repair or replacement as appropriate.
• Repair or replace component parts in accordance with manufacturer guidelines.
• Establish and replicate the circumstances and conditions that give rise to reported faults.
• Determine whether reported symptoms are a characteristic or a fault.
• Diagnose faults and reported underperformance of land-based machinery, equipment and prime movers using approved diagnostic procedures and equipment and logical problem-solving techniques.
• Maintain, interrogate, calibrate and repair electronic equipment and systems, including precision technology, electronic management systems, telemetry, autonomous and automated operations used in the land-based sector.
• Differentiate between the root cause and symptom of land-based machinery, equipment and prime mover failures.
• Identify crop, soil, climatic and environmental factors that impact on the performance of land-based machinery, equipment and prime movers.
• Identify the equipment settings appropriate to the working conditions giving due consideration to crop, soil types, conditions and environments, weather and climatic conditions.
• Perform verification tests to check performance against manufacturer specification land-based machinery, equipment and prime mover performance.
• Identify stakeholder requirements and provide tailored advice that informs their selection and operation of appropriate machinery, equipment and prime movers to meet the land based environment in which it will be operated.
• Applies supervision and mentoring techniques to support junior colleagues' development.
• Plan and prepare maintenance or repair work schedules for showing task allocation, sequencing, workflow and time management.
• Compile technical reports and statements.
• Provide technical input to facilitate the compilation of repair schedules, action plans, quotations and estimates.
• Identify the parts and services required to enable the reinstatement of land-based machinery, equipment and prime movers for the purposes of estimates and quotations.
• Perform installation and handover of machinery, equipment and prime movers, explaining their safe operation, the settings required for the environmental conditions and application, the maintenance and warranty requirements.
• Establish level of customer understanding of how to operate the machinery or equipment following installation and handover.
• Use predictive and preventative maintenance effectively to minimise land-based machinery, equipment and prime mover downtime.
• Identify toxic and hazardous substances and environments and apply suitable and sustainable control measures.
• Dispose of