AWARDS CONFERENCES & TRADE SHOWS
Jasmine Willoughby, Aus Ships
Winning apprentices attend METSTRADE
Robert Smith, Superior Jetties Blake Frazer, Onboard Engineering
Each year, the Australian Marine Industry Awards recognises the innovation, creativity, and craftsmanship of some of Australia’s most successful marine businesses. The awards, organised and hosted by the Australian International Marine Export Group (AIMEX) cover categories for the superyacht, commercial marine and marine export sectors of the industry, but the newest award – the Marine Industry Apprentice Award – is proving equally as popular for entries as businesses recruit, train and support their new team members embarking upon a career in the Australian marine industry.
into the Superyacht Welding Program designed to be an introductory course providing core skills for working in the marine industry fabrication and welding areas. Jasmine has continued to develop her experience and skills and has gained a better appreciation of other aspects including the design phase, continuing to increase her exposure to other trade expertise. The ‘2021 Marine Industry Apprentice of the Year’ winner Robert Smith, joined Superior Jetties after working in the construction industry. Having dedicated himself to learning and constantly applying himself, Robert was able to fast-track his training and completed his course mid- 2020. He now has the ability to undertake entire jobs competently and accurately from start to finish including interpreting drawings, fabrication / construction and installation working on some of the largest jobs Superior Jetties has completed. Robert held the position of Boilermaker / Welder at the time of his award win. Blake Frazer from Onboard Engineering won the ‘2022 Marine Apprentice of the Year’. He started out as a marina attendant at the Royal Motor Yacht Club Port Hacking. Blake then progressed to gain further experience in the marine industry working at Onboard Engineering which led to an apprenticeship. Blake is currently a third year Mobile Plant Mechanic and also works as a casual deckhand on a superyacht.
Introduced in 2020 the ‘Apprentice of the Year’ winners will each receive complimentary return flights and accommodation to Amsterdam to attend METSTRADE 2022, the world’s largest marine equipment, materials, and systems trade exhibition. This highly sought-after accolade offers the trip of a lifetime for any young apprentice and will allow them to experience the marine industry internationally and boost their career from a global perspective. Due to restricted travel over the past two years, the 2022 Award Winner Blake Frazer from Onboard Engineering will be accompanied by the 2020 and 2021 award winners, Jasmine Willoughby from Aus Ships and Robert Smith from Superior Jetties, respectively. Attending METSTRADE 2022 promises to be a huge eye-opener for these three young apprentices exposing them to
the global leisure marine industry over three program-packed days with more than 1300 exhibitors on show across the twenty-seven pavilions. David Good, CEO of AIMEX, said, “This is a huge opportunity for young future industry leaders to attend METSTRADE alongside Australia’s most successful marine exporters as part of the Australian Pavilion. This experience will encourage them to continue to strive for excellence within the international marine industry and will be an experience they remember for their entire career.” In 2020 Jasmine Willoughby became the very first winner of the new ‘Marine Industry Apprentice of the Year’ award. Before joining the marine industry, Jasmine completed a Biomedical Science degree from Griffith University. It was while she was working as a pharmacy assistant, she applied and was accepted
2023 AUSTRALIAN MARINE INDUSTRY DIRECTORY | 17
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