Boat Building Academy enrols more women than men for first time
For the first time in its 28-year history, women outnumber men on the UK’s Boat Building Academy (BBA) flagship 40-week course. The current cohort, based in Lyme Regis, Dorset, consists of eight women and seven men, surpassing the previous record of four female students.
This milestone follows the launch of the academy’s Diversity and Inclusivity (DEI) strategy, developed in collaboration with Belinda Joslin, founder of Women in Boatbuilding (WIBB). The initiative, introduced just over a year ago, aims to address the gender imbalance in the boatbuilding industry by providing financial and practical support to female students.
One component of the strategy is a five-day women’s workshop, which offers an introduction to woodworking skills. The BBA has also introduced a bursary scheme specifically for women, which has made the 40-week programme more accessible. In addition, female students are being mentored by members of WIBB who are already working in the industry.
Seventeen-year-old Sophia Harding from Portsmouth is one of the students benefiting from the bursary. After leaving sixth form to pursue a more hands-on career, she restored an old boat herself and later enrolled at the BBA.
“I enjoyed the one-week workshop, but I wasn’t sure if I could fund the 40-week course,” says Harding. “The gamechanger was when they announced I had won a 50 per cent bursary. During the summer, I worked for Urban Truant, saved every penny, and secured additional sponsorships. The hard work paid off and I’m absolutely loving it.”
Another student, 38-year-old Hannah Lovett from Calderdale, West Yorkshire, left her career as a restauranteur to enrol. She explains: “I initially considered joinery, but after learning about Women in Boatbuilding, I knew this was the right path. I’m so happy to be on the first course with a majority of women and love that the academy is making an effort to balance gender diversity.”
The group has begun developing foundational skills and will soon progress to building four wooden boats from scratch, to be launched in Lyme Regis harbour next June.
Belinda Joslin of WIBB describes the academy as “an inclusive and welcoming environment for women,” adding: “This success story is proof that the DEI strategy worked. We hope the wider industry will adopt similar measures to address the skills shortage in boatbuilding.”
BBA director Will Reed echoes this sentiment: “It’s deeply encouraging to see so many talented women on the course. We have an exciting strategy to further promote diversity and inclusion in the industry.”
The BBA, established in 1997, has trained over 2,500 students in boatbuilding and furniture making. Women in Boatbuilding is a Community Interest Company that supports and celebrates women in the marine trades. Boatbuilding remains a male-dominated field, but efforts like these aim to make the craft more inclusive.
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