Matthew Warren has been part of the Maritimo team for just the last four years. However, during his time in the industry he has made quite an impression with many, both from within the company itself, and at Coomera TAFE, where he has just completed his apprenticeship for Certificate III in Marine Craft Construction.
In his very first year, he was a Finalist in the Apprentice Of The Year award (top three). Warren then went on to secure the prestigious TAFE title the next year, and the year after that as well. In 2020 Maritimo also recognised the young star, when he was awarded his outstanding efforts and contribution to Engineering, Air-conditioning, and Electrical.
The accolades would continue to flow for this talented, former Dux of Victoria Point State High School, for in 2022 when he completed his apprenticeship, TAFE presented him with the Outstanding Achievement Award. This grand honour places Warren atop some 2000+ apprentices from all trades, in all years, across the entire Gold Coast. This is a tremendous run of form, and augurs well for the star’s future. Warren joined Maritimo as part of Production Manager Kym Fleet’s first group of half a dozen new apprentices. Fleet commented, “He’s done really well here. We gave him specific projects to do, and he would just grab them and run with it. He’s also mentored other apprentices along the way.”
“If you could surround yourself with young fellows like Matthew, then it would make the whole process of expanding a business that much easier. Simply put, you surround yourself with good people and life becomes easier. Matthew’s one of the good people”, stated Fleet. After finishing school, Matthew started an Engineering Degree at the University of Queensland. However, he’d had enough of school, for the time being, and started looking for an apprenticeship. “All my mates are electricians, plumbers and builders. I wanted to do something different; to learn a bit of everything”, said Warren.
After searching job sites he found Maritimo. “I researched the company, and it was definitely something different, which is what really appealed to me. It wasn’t necessarily the boat side of things that attracted me, but that you were able to learn lots of different things.” Actually, boats have always been a part of Warren’s life. He lived on Russell Island from age five until recently, and his Dad had a tinnie, which they would often take out fishing. It also meant taking ferry trips on most days for study, or later on when working at Maritimo, so boats and water are somewhat omnipresent in his life.
During Matthew’s apprenticeship with Maritimo he has spent time in a number of different areas including R&D, Fit Out One, Fit Out Two, and Engineering and Air-conditioning. Fit Out Two (where the interior is all placed in) is his favourite area because the work is challenging, and he really gets on well his other teammates. R&D is a close second and the time spent here has played a huge part in developing the next stage of his career in the marine industry, as we’ll come to learn shortly. When not working at Maritimo, Warren is maximising his skills doing up a five-metre Seafarer he purchased. “I’ve just started, by gutting it all, and am currently putting in new stringers and transom. It’s a great way to get a nice boat, without spending a lot of money.”
However, it’s not all about boats. Warren also enjoys going to music festivals, such as Grapevine held at Sirromet Winery in Mount Cotton, and also Splendour in the Grass near Byron Bay.
He is also a passionate about AFL, playing for the Redlands Victoria Point Sharks since he was six. Warren is already sorting out a team to play with when he moves down to Tasmania at the beginning of next year, as he’s off to study Marine Engineering, majoring in Naval Architecture at the Australian Maritime College in Launceston. “I like the industry, and really enjoy the work, but want to challenge myself a little bit further. I want to contribute to the industry, but I don’t want to be working on the tools when I’m over 40.”
“I have learnt so much while doing my apprenticeship at Maritimo, which will definitely help me later on as a designer. I now have an overall understanding of how things go and work together and can see potential problems at the early stages. People who haven’t had the practical experience often seem to miss this” said Warren.
He’s not completely sure which direction he will take once he’s completed the course but is very appreciative of Maritimo’s offer to have him back on the team. In demonstrating the high regard in which Warren is held, Fleet added, “The door is always open for Matthew. The course requires its participants to do work experience blocks. So somewhere along the line, he’s got to do a 12-week stint at an organisation inside the industry, and we’ll be more than happy to accommodate him.”
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