Six students from Falmouth Marine School and Helston Community College have successfully completed a two week work placement in France thanks to a mobility project made possible through EU funding from Erasmus Plus.

The students, trained at level one, two and three in marine engineering or boat building, crossed the Channel to gain hands-on experience in Finistere, a world-class region for the marine leisure industry. They were placed in pairs within relevant businesses and were professionally tutored and introduced to the day-to-day industry activities in various workshops, from resin infusion to laying up and gel coating moulds to contributing to boat maintenance and fit out.

Local partner Finistere 360°, a public body responsible for the implementation of marine leisure and tourism strategies, brokered the work placements at IDB Marine, Maree Haute and Espace Vag, three boatyards which respectively won the prize of “sailing boat of the year” over the last four years.

The project, managed by the Cornwall Apprenticeship Agency, aimed to develop the students’ capacity to adapt to different working environments in a marine sector where products, their associated maintenance processes and clients are increasingly becoming multinational.

A complementary series of marine-related activities completed the programme, including kayak and stand-up paddle board sessions, and a visit to the KAIROS business incubator which supports the use of bio-composites in the boat building industry.

In Falmouth's twin town, Douarnenez, the group also visited the floating museum and Les Ateliers de l’Enfer, an adult training centre in traditional marine carpentry, sail-making and saddler, and joined tours onboard the Grayhound (the sailing cargo ship operating between Finistere and the South West UK) and the St Denys (the Cornish steam tug boat now based in Douarnenez).

A second group of students is being recruited to participate in a second mobility in June. The project is funded under Key Action 1 of the Erasmus Plus programme of the European Union.