Celebrating our industry’s rising stars
The 2026 Apprentice of the Year Awards celebrated the next generation of marine industry talent at the Melbourne Boat Show, recognising outstanding apprentices and the employers supporting their careers.
Supported by major sponsor KGM, the awards brought together apprentices, employers, training providers and industry supporters to celebrate achievement across marine trimming, marine mechanical and boat building.
Andrea Rothwell takes out the overall honour
Andrea Rothwell from The Wooden Boatshop was named 2026 KGM Overall Apprentice of the Year. Andrea also won Marine Trimming Apprentice of the Year, proudly sponsored by Holmesglen Institute.
Congratulations to Andrea and The Wooden Boatshop team on this outstanding double achievement.
Recognising our category winners
Ollie Shaw from Stratford Marine won Marine Mechanical Apprentice of the Year, proudly sponsored by Kangan Institute. Congratulations to Ollie and the Stratford Marine team on this fantastic achievement.
Oscar Forbes from JPM Composites won Boat Building Apprentice of the Year, proudly sponsored by the Australian Institute of Engineering. Congratulations to Oscar and the JPM Composites team on this well-earned recognition.
Celebrating our finalists
We also congratulate the four Boat Building Apprentice of the Year finalists and their employers:
- Jordan Tedesco — East Coast Boats
- Jye Oakley — Anchorage Houseboats
- Brody Ricco-Gourlay — Anchorage Houseboats
- Kaiden Lovett — Anchorage Houseboats
Being recognised as a finalist is an achievement to be proud of. We look forward to following their progress as they continue developing their skills and building their careers.
Anchorage Houseboats named Apprentice Employer of the Year
Anchorage Houseboats received the Apprentice Employer of the Year Award, recognising its commitment to supporting apprentices and developing the marine industry’s future workforce.
With Jye, Brody and Kaiden also recognised as finalists, it was a particularly proud occasion for the Anchorage Houseboats team.
Thank you to our supporters
These awards celebrate both individual achievement and the support behind every apprenticeship. Thank you to The Wooden Boatshop, Stratford Marine, JPM Composites, East Coast Boats and Anchorage Houseboats, alongside the mentors and training providers helping these apprentices grow.
A special thank you to Paul Burt for bringing warmth and energy to the presentations and making them a joy to watch.
Boating Careers and the Boating Industry Association of Victoria also thank KGM, our major awards sponsor, and category sponsors Holmesglen Institute, Kangan Institute and the Australian Institute of Engineering for supporting the next generation of marine industry talent.
Congratulations to all our winners, finalists and employers.
