Unprecedented growth in the local marine industry has led to the creation of an exciting new marine education and employment hub in the City’s most comprehensive and awarded marine facility – Gold Coast City Marina & Shipyard (GCCM). The ‘GCCM Marine Jobs Academy’ is the brainchild of GCCM management and local employment and training specialists DGT Employment and Training and the centre is set to provide a well-located skills, training and employment support system for the facility’s 90+ marine businesses and the wider South East Queensland marine industry.
“Our industry is growing at an unprecedented pace and currently our onsite businesses at GCCM have a huge range of positions available including labourers, trade assistants, trimmers, fabricators, painters, electricians, carpenters, shipwrights and plumbers, nearly every trade you can think of. We’re really excited to partner with DGT to create a structured, centralised education and employment hub onsite to drive skills development and provide a pipeline of skilled workers for the marine businesses that we support,” explained GCCM CEO Trenton Gay.
DGT Employment and Training (DGT) specialise in providing expert workforce employment and development services for businesses across Queensland and throughout Australia. For over 30 years they have partnered with businesses in key sectors to employ and train apprentices and trainees, and deliver training courses and programs that build capability and manage short, medium and long-term workforce needs and requirements. Right now, they can see that demand is outstripping supply for qualified trades in the flourishing marine precinct and believe that their partnership with GCCM is poised to revolutionise training and recruitment within the local marine industry.
GCCM has frequently been an epicentre for marine projects that generate a plethora of local jobs. M/Y Lady Christine (68m Feadship) recently underwent an extensive 6 month refit at GCCM. Projects like this support dozens of local businesses, provide employment for hundreds of marine trades and offer substantial benefits to the Gold Coast economy. Since Lady Christine departed in late 2021, the amount of incoming work has yet to slow and businesses located in the precinct are experiencing significant skills and labour shortages.
“Through the formation of the ‘GCCM Marine Jobs Academy’ our aim is to develop a robust understanding of the needs of the marine businesses based onsite and together develop customised skills training, employment pathways and other programs to meet these specific needs”, said Kris McCue, CEO of DGT Employment and Training.
“From our centralised base at GCCM we’ll also provide ongoing support and mentoring to assist apprentices in the industry to achieve their educational goals and trade qualifications and our trainees and apprentices will be able to complete work experience with leading marine businesses located in the shipyard to get the start they are wanting in the industry. We’ll be ideally located to connect the right candidates with the right opportunities to service an expanding market. ”
For more than 20 years GCCM has propagated a solid foundation of skill and talent to ensure that the award winning facility continues to provide cutting edge services and craftsmanship for domestic and international vessels.
Mr Gay said, “This partnership and the establishment of the GCCM Jobs Academy will provide the ideal channel to develop skills, employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for the local marine industry well into the future. Our ongoing success is highly dependent on the skills and experience of our trades. It’s vital that we continue to maintain the workforce of strong and competent trades that we have been globally recognised for since we first opened the gates over 22 years ago”.
With the 20 hectare Stage 2 facility in the pipeline (capable of lifting vessels up to 1400tonne), GCCM will continue to invest in new infrastructure and equipment and will certainly require a workforce that is ready to meet the future needs and demands of their ever-increasing customer base.
To find about more about the GCCM Marine Jobs Academy and career opportuntiies in the marine industry contact Mitch Ryan on Ph: 0428 887 074.
Published in print April-June 2022
