Minister for International Trade, Ranil Jayawardena, visited Sunseeker headquarters in Poole on 10 August 2021.
Mr Jayawardena toured the shipyard, meeting boat builders, new apprentices and senior Sunseeker International executives including Sales and Marketing Director, Sean Robertson and Finance Director, Dean Lawler. On the tour, Mr Jayawardena learned of Sunseeker’s Centre of Excellence for design and technology, which vertically integrates every detail of the yacht from concept to completion.
Speaking about the visit, Mr Jayawardena said: “It is fantastic to be down in Dorset to see Global Britain going around the world. The sheer number of yachts made in Britain for the export market is a sight to behold – Sunseeker export 95% of their yachts – and this can be attributed to the substantial investment made in manufacturing here.
“Sunseeker’s commitment to generating new apprenticeship and graduate opportunities makes great business sense and is creating more jobs for local people, totalling over 1,700 staff today. Trade means jobs. And, as one of our largest leisure marine manufacturers, I’m delighted that nearly 70% of all their materials are British, supporting a further 10,000 jobs in their supply chain.”
Sean Robertson, Sales and Marketing Director of Sunseeker International, added: “We are delighted that the Minister for International Trade has been able to visit us to highlight the significance of our facilities in Poole and Portland and see first-hand the highly skilled nature of our talented design, engineering and manufacturing teams. Every year we commit to hiring at least 40 new apprentices, and increasingly, graduate roles. We develop our early careers programmes to ensure we equip our people with skills for now and the future.”
Sunseeker has supported hundreds of apprentices with multiple learning pathways, including carpentry, composites, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and IT. The vast majority of apprentices remain with the company and progress their careers.
