Heritage Dockyard Apprentice
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Company: TOOLEY'S BOATYARD LTD
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Location: BANBURY, OX16 2PQ
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Type: Apprenticeship
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Salary: £16,619.00 per year
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Sector: Engineering and manufacturing
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Ref: NAS-2000030517
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Application Deadline Date: 28/06/2026
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Start Date: 01/09/2026
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Positions Available: 1
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Working Week: 5 days a week, between Monday and Saturday. 8:00am to 3:30pm.
Brief Description
Tooley's Boatyard is one of the oldest continuously working inland waterways boatyards in Britain and a Scheduled Historic Monument. We are seeking a motivated and enthusiastic apprentice to join our team and learn a wide range of traditional and practical heritage skills within a working historic dockyard environment.
Training to be Provided
Training will take place at The Pioneer Sailing Trust, in Brightlingsea, Essex on a block release scheme, with apprentices attending for 1 week every month. Full accommodation and travel to and from Brightlingsea will be funded. Please see the Pioneer Sailing Trust's website for more information:
www.pioneerck18.org
Future Prospects
Wide range of opportunities across the marine industry - locally, nationally and internationally.
Vacancy Detail
The successful applicant will work alongside experienced staff and volunteers and gain hands-on experience in areas including:
- Heritage boat restoration
- Traditional dockyard operations
- Painting and preparation work
- Basic engineering and maintenance
- Blacksmithing and forge activities
- Historic site maintenance
- Customer interaction and visitor engagement
- Health and safety within a working boatyard
The post would be for 3 years and will lead to full time employment at Tooley's Boatyard afterwards. The candidate would be training on the Heritage Engineering Marine Technician course, and the Inland Waterways Helmsman Certificate leading to a instructor qualification.
This role attracts a lot of media attention, and the candidate would be expected to appear on tv, radio, social media and newspapers, and we will support the candidate through this.
This apprenticeship is ideal for somebody interested in practical skills, heritage restoration, engineering, traditional crafts, and Britain's inland waterways.