Intern – HDPE Boat Manufacturing

Sentinel Boats presents an opportunity to work within a private, Tasmanian-owned business that continues to evolve in order to service a quickly developing domestic and international market. At Sentinel Boats we design and build bespoke vessels from High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) that are certified for commercial use by the military and other government organisations. The offered placement for the Tasmanian Defence Industry Scholarship is multi-faceted and covers engineering, manufacturing processes, delivery management, and quality control and assurance.

During the 12-week placement the successful candidate would work across the business to gain a holistic experience. The multi-industry experience inherent to the Sentinel Boats team underpins our belief that earliest exposure to the workings of a business provides greatest value to ensuing graduates. The successful candidate would gain exposure to the planning, Lean build processes, test planning, certification management, and gain invaluable insight to how a business faces and resolves risks and issues for current and emerging boat deliveries. The value gained from placement will be closely managed by our HR and Training Manager.

The following outlines the rotations within the 12-week placement:

• Weeks 1-3: Working with the Head of Program Management, the candidate would gain insight to management of the build program and supply chain.
• Weeks 4-6: Working with the Head of Engineering, the candidate would gain insight to the design, change, and certification processes.
• Weeks 7-9:  Working with the Chief Shipwright, the candidate would experience the physical build process of HDPE boats.
• Weeks 10-12: Working with the Head of Technical Operations, the candidate would experience the quality control and assurance activities required to deliver a compliant and functional boat.

The potential value afforded by a placement with Sentinel Boats is evidenced in the following testimony from an engineering internship completed in March 2025, for a student studying at the Australian Maritime College. The broad nature of topics reflected upon in the testimony highlights the same broadness in learning opportunities available at Sentinel Boats.

“ During my engineering internship at Sentinel Boats in Hobart, I was involved in CNC machining, HDPE boat construction, poly welding, and refining production processes. Working with a company focused on delivering robust and reliable vessels for commercial and government use gave me valuable exposure to industry-standard practices in modern boatbuilding, while strengthening my skills in fabrication, material handling, and workshop operations.”

The period from August to November 2025 is the lead-in period for the testing and surveying of the first-of-class Naval Sea Boat for the New Zealand Defence Force. During this period the successful candidate will be able to observe and participate in how Sentinel Boats completes the build, tests against requirements, and works closely with a surveyor to deliver a DNV-examined vessel. The proposed placement offers exposure to private industry, use of leading-edge materials, and delivery processes to an international customer.