This qualification is for people who have attained the National Certificate in Boatbuilding (Level 4) with strands in Marine Cabinetmaking, Composite Sparmaking, Alloy Boatbuilding, Marine Rigging, Interior and Exterior Marine Painting, Composite Boatbuilding, Steel Boatbuilding, Wooden Boatbuilding, Marine Systems Engineering, Metal Sparmaking, Composite Production Trailer Boats, and Alloy Production Trailer Boats [Ref: 0877] and who want to progress their career to become technically skilled leaders in boatbuilding. These people are likely to be responsible for managing people, resources, and work operations. They will have technical skills and knowledge relevant to the type of vessels that they are working with. The qualification recognises the variation in skills between different vessel construction types and in different workplace contexts. There is an elective and strand options. The elective section allows specialisation according to the workplace or vessel system types. Strands provide the options for the qualification to be contextualised to different vessel types. There is a combination of on-job and off-job learning and assessment.

The Compulsory section includes standards that describe knowledge and skills relevant to: First line management and supervision; leadership; team-building; staff selection, performance management, and managing staff exit; quality control; safety; efficiency through continuous improvement; sustainability; project control; supervision in a variety of specific first line industry situations; industry-specific use of computer software and hardware; monitoring and assessment of marine paint application; cathodic protection for marine vessels; and basic principles of naval architecture and engineering.

The Elective section allows candidates to choose from a selection of standards which describe knowledge and skills relevant to: boatbuilding, quality management, systems and resources management, computing, engineering, and communications skills.

Candidates can choose a strand specific to the construction type they are working with: Composite, Wooden, or Metal; covering specification, testing and specialist technical competencies that are unique to the construction type.

Candidates who have already obtained the National Certificate in Business (First Line Management) (Level 4) [Ref: 0649] may have obtained credit for some of the standards in this qualification particularly from one or more of the following domains: People Development and Coordination; Quality Management; Systems and Resources Management.