Lifesaving charity launches new apprenticeships

The RNLI has offered apprenticeships for the past two decades, providing various opportunities in marine engineering, marketing, legal and IT at the charity’s headquarters in Poole (Dorset), the Isle of Wight, and more recently in Perth (Scotland).

This year, amongst apprenticeship vacancies in IT and marine engineering, the RNLI is launching its first apprenticeships in Wales and Cornwall. The RNLI successfully launched a Systems Technician apprenticeship in Perth last year; the charity’s first apprenticeship in Scotland. This same apprenticeship is now launching in Wales and Saltash (Cornwall), and will see apprentices working across the RNLI’s extensive fleet of lifeboats, launch equipment and lifeguard support equipment.

Lynne Mason, Apprenticeship Manager for the RNLI said, ‘We’re really excited to launch these new apprenticeships in Wales and Cornwall, as well as to open up more opportunities in our existing apprenticeships. We’re really proud of our apprentices here at the RNLI, and we’re pleased to be able to further extend our apprenticeship programme, providing more opportunities for people to gain the skills they need to help us continue to save lives at sea.’

Helen McKinnon, RNLI Apprentice Systems Technician said, ‘I’m really enjoying my apprenticeship. I like that it is really varied and no day is the same.’

Notes for editors:

· Vacancies go live on rnli.org/vacancies during Apprenticeship Week 2018, beginning 5^th March.

· The following RNLI apprentice case studies are available: Helen McKinnon (Systems Technician apprentice), Lauren Poole (RNLI Marketing Apprentice), Joe Fulcher (RNLI IT apprentice) and Ashley Day (former RNLI IT apprentice who progressed to a role on the charity's IT Service Desk), and Laura Croxson (former RNLI Marketing apprentice who recently completed her apprenticeship and progressed to become a RNLI Marketing Executive).

· This is the first time the RNLI has offered apprenticeships in Wales and Cornwall.

Media Contacts

For more information, please contact the RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789, or by email at [email protected]

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.

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