Rivergate in Murarrie is globally known in the marine industry for its highly-skilled workforce. This has been proven yet again by Jasmine Willoughby, a Rivergate apprentice and Australia’s first female Marine Apprentice of the Year at the Australian Marine Industry Awards.
Jasmine is riding the waves of success in a work environment dominated by men as a second-year fabrication trade apprentice (boiler making/welding) at the Aus Ships Group within the Rivergate marine precinct. As the world celebrates International Women’s Day, Jasmine is a shining inspiration for young women who are looking for options to work for the marine industry.
Her thriving career growth comes as this Murarrie precinct will undergo a major expansion that will provide for 1,500 new marine industry jobs.
“There will be more and more opportunities for women to learn a trade and have a career in the marine industry,” Jasmine said. “The expansion would be a huge boom for the companies at Rivergate but also Brisbane as a whole. We will see more superyachts coming to the dock which will require more hands on deck.”
Jasmine was a former pharmacy assistant before shifting to the marine industry. A graduate of East Coast Apprenticeships Launch, she aimed to land a job at the superyacht sector, where she stood out and was honored as the top apprentice.
“It is always daunting being the first person to go through something, but I’m happy to be a role model to young women to show them what is possible and that they can try a trade, enjoy it and excel at it.”
The top apprentice of the year also said her male co-workers have been very supportive of her work.
“Of all people, it was men who said they had a great experience working with women as they had excellent attention to detail.”
Judy Brinsmead, Rivergate Marina and Shipyard Director, said that their training and apprenticeship programs provide long-term sustainability for workers, including women who also want to grow in the industry, just like Jasmine.
“It’s not so much about finding women who want to be in this industry but giving them the opportunity that they may not have been aware they had,” Jasmine said.
