When Ben Hawkins was given the opportunity to take up an apprenticeship with Riviera Australia, he jumped at the chance.
When Ben Hawkins was given the opportunity to take up an apprenticeship with Riviera Australia he jumped at the chance.
It was a fabulous opportunity to be among the first intake of apprentices to learn at the company’s own state-of-the-art training centre, The Riviera Academy of Excellence, which opened in January 2024.
Ben, 18, has just completed his first year of a four-year marine craft construction apprenticeship and was recognised in December as one of the Riviera Apprentices of the Year.
“Riviera is such a well-known company. I love motor yachts, and working with my hands, so this was a great opportunity for me,” he said.
“I am just learning so much. There is a lot of team-building work as well as learning tool skills and working with materials like fibreglass, which you really don’t learn anywhere else.
“After completing a four-year marine craft construction apprenticeship, it can lead to anywhere from new model development, to making moulds, to working in fitout one, which is where you start to see the yachts coming together or in fitout two, which is installing all the cabinetry and interiors.
Ben Hawkins enjoys learning the skills required to craft timber using traditional methods.
Leading the Academy is Senior Training Instructor Darren Kearns (left) and Instructor Justin Leigh-Smith (right) who both completed their apprenticeships in 1996 in marine craft construction with Justin serving his apprenticeship with Riviera. Both also have had esteemed careers with Riviera with Darren serving over 18 years and Justin 30 years.
"Having the owner of Riviera there makes you feel like you’re part of one big family."
BEN HAWKINS
“There are learnings all throughout your apprenticeship and when you graduate there are so many opportunities. I want to stay with Riviera.”
Ben said he had always been keen on woodwork and building subjects at school but said someone with a real interest and limited tool skills could learn so much from a Riviera apprenticeship.
“I would recommend anyone to try an apprenticeship. The people here are amazing, so nice and helpful, and totally supportive.
“From day one, when you start to get to know everyone, you definitely feel like you’re a part of the Riviera family straight away. Everyone on the floor is really helpful and they can teach you anything.”
“I enjoy my job. It’s an amazing place. It’s fun and the people are nice. The quality name that Riviera has built for itself is impressive. I feel proud to work here and proud to come to work every day knowing that I am making an impact. A lot of friends say my job is really cool.”
All apprentices participate in Riviera’s personal excellence and development program called Propel. This exclusive program has been created to equip all apprentices with knowledge and life skills to better prepare them to achieve personal excellence.
“We’ve been learning teamwork and how to be more confident both inside and outside the workplace.
“The confidence sessions have really helped me. I was very closed off at the beginning of my apprenticeship. With their guidance and advice, I have put this to use at work and this has helped me to create new friendships. I’m now more confident in my work and the skills they have offered in teamwork has been amazing. This has all helped me outside of work as well.
“We’ve also done a lot of goal setting, financial planning and setting yourself up for your future. I know this has helped a lot of people reach the goals that they set at the beginning of last year. Having Rodney Longhurst as one of the mentors in this program has been very insightful. Having the person that owns the business sharing all his years of experience from his completing his trade to owning and running businesses, has been fantastic. Having the owner of Riviera there makes you feel like you’re part of one big family.”
Each year Riviera also holds a three-day apprenticeship team building camp in the Main Range National Park, designed to boost confidence, resilience and camaraderie.
“At the camp last year, I bonded with a lot of people and made friends with people who I thought I would not be friends with. It was a really good time. It introduced me to many different people from other departments, which is very helpful when you need advice on different topics. I found everyone so welcoming. The camp built my confidence up a lot and has really helped me.”
Sam Baddeley is excited by the opportunities with Riviera to further his career once he graduates in two years’ time.
"It’s made me think more about my goals and I feel that I have progressed more towards them because of Propel."
SAM BADDELEY
Twenty-one-year-old Sam Baddeley is two years into his electrical apprenticeship.
“It’s been fantastic and very productive. You get immersed in things but once you learn something you move on and learn something new. Every day can be different – you don’t get stuck doing just the one thing.
“In another two years I can work in production with Riviera and then there are so many opportunities to further your career.”
Sam said he enjoyed woodwork, design and engineering at school which had all helped him with his apprenticeship.
“I started here at 18 and everyone is nice and helpful. As Ben said, it’s like working with your family.
“I would definitely recommend doing an apprenticeship to anyone who enjoys being on the move and working with their hands.
“And motor yachts are really interesting to work on, more than houses; there are lots of different processes, techniques, skills and programs involved. It’s also great to work at a company that is so well known and respected. Everyone I meet, when I tell them that I work at Riviera, is impressed. They’ve all heard of the company.”
Sam has also found the extracurricular aspects of a Riviera apprenticeship very beneficial.
“Propel has helped me to be more confident and to get to know more of the apprentices that work in different areas. It’s also good because you get to know Rodney who comes along and teaches some of the sessions on goal setting and financial management. They did not teach us anything like this in school.
“It’s made me think more about my goals and I feel that I have progressed more towards them because of Propel.
“The camps are fun as well. You get to know the other apprentices and managers better and it really makes us all feel like we are a team.”
Riviera trains onsite 10 individual trades, including composite technology, marine craft construction, diesel fitting and cabinetmaking.
The Riviera Academy of Excellence was officially opened on January 12, 2024.
The Riviera Academy of Excellence, based within Riviera’s 16.8-hectare Gold Coast facility, allows the motor yacht builder to train, in partnership with Major Training Group, its apprentices onsite across 10 individual trades, including composite technology, marine craft construction, diesel fitting and cabinetmaking. This year Riviera will be offering new traineeships in supply chain operations and business administration.
Riviera is responsible for training more than 400 tradespeople through its award-winning apprenticeship program over the past 30 years. Many of the company’s senior managers and tradespeople have completed their apprenticeships at Riviera and this highlights the great importance of training and creating long-term career pathways as the foundation to building a sustainable and successful enterprise.
In 2024, Riviera was named ‘Large Employer of the Year’ in the Queensland Training Awards, following its award for the South East Region. Riviera was then presented with the Bronze Award for ‘Large Employer of the Year’ at the Australian Training Awards in December.
This recognition celebrates the company’s commitment to enhancing training standards and its dedication to developing the skills and careers of its 900-strong team.
Riviera’s partnership with Major Training Group was also recognised as a finalist in the ‘Premier’s Industry Collaboration Award’.
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