Pendennis makes Top 100 Apprentice Employers list for 2026 for fifth consecutive year

For the fifth consecutive year Pendennis has been listed in the The Sunday Times Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers – a fantastic reflection of our commitment to maintaining world class standards of training and development through our apprenticeship scheme. 

Our apprenticeship programme is designed to give apprentices a broad foundation before specialising in their chosen trade. Third-year Pendennis electrical apprentice Lewis spoke to The Times and featured on Times Radio where he explained:

"Pendennis runs a four-year general programme. In your first year, you get to try out a bit of everything - engineering, electrical, joinery and fabrication. At the end of the year, you pick your specialty."

But the experience extends far beyond technical training. Through opportunities such as the Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, leadership roles within the Southwest Apprenticeship Ambassador Network and sailing and powerboat courses, our apprentices are encouraged to grow both professionally and personally.

As Lewis explained: "We definitely progress in our work lives, but all the training also makes you feel like you're progressing as a person."

At Pendennis, our award-winning apprenticeship scheme has now trained almost 400 young men and women in boat industry jobs over the past 27 years. The scheme has been running since 1998 and continues to build the new generation of highly skilled specialised superyacht staff. The programme boasts a 90% retention rate following graduation, and just under one third of our current workforce has been trained by the Pendennis apprenticeship programme, with many progressing to senior positions such as project engineers, trade and project managers. 

We consider training an integral part of everyone’s career and we provide courses and education for all of our employees – all the way through to retirement. We even have a number of retirees returning as mentors, sharing their expertise and knowledge with our new starters. We embrace training as part of the core DNA at Pendennis.

Every year, we take on a new cohort of Pendennis apprentices. We receive more than 100 applications, invite over 60 applicants for tests with our partners Cornwall College, narrow those 60 down to 32 to interview with a team at the shipyard, and ultimately just 12 are offered places on our award-winning General Engineering Apprenticeship. Our apprentices are mentored by experienced tradespeople within the yard, in addition to time at college to develop their skills. 

As well as extra-curricular activities, our apprentices attend careers events online and at local schools and colleges to discuss Pendennis apprenticeships with pupils and potential future apprentices. These initiatives help to develop our Pendennis apprentices into confident, well-rounded individuals. 

Pendennis’ consistency in mentoring and training the future generation is something we promise to continue for many years to come.