A Aixola Launches a New Training Cycle with Sixty Enrolled Participants and International Projects
- The A Aixola Training Centre offers free training in the areas of shipbuilding, fishing gear and equipment, sailmaking, and mechanics.
The A Aixola Training Centre, managed by CETMAR and dependent on the Consellería do Mar, has started a new cycle of courses that will run until December, with around sixty participants enrolled across four training areas. All courses are free of charge, as they are co-financed by the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF), and take place in facilities provided by the Port Authority of Marín and the Ría de Pontevedra.
One of the main novelties this term is the participation of students in the FAO’s FISH4ACP programme, an international cooperation project led by CETMAR aimed at improving the sustainability of fisheries and aquaculture in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific. Students from the Manual Polyester Lamination and Small Boat Restoration courses will take part, working on the construction of fibre and marine plywood models.
The results of this training will later be applied in São Tomé and Príncipe, where CETMAR experts will deliver workshops with local carpenters and professionals, culminating in the construction of two vessels. They will also provide short training sessions on fishing gear repair, nets, and engines, aimed at strengthening the skills of fishers and women traders.
Among the most notable courses is the one leading to the Professional Certificate in Manufacture and Maintenance of Fishing Gear and Equipment, with A Aixola being the only centre in Galicia permanently accredited to deliver it. This qualification responds to the demand of net-makers’ associations, who see this training as a key tool to ensure generational renewal in the sector.
Wooden boatbuilding remains a fundamental pillar at A Aixola. The centre keeps alive the tradition of carpintería de ribera (traditional Galician wooden boatbuilding), declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage Asset in 2017. A Aixola combines traditional techniques with innovation, preserving boats and materials while promoting new approaches to shipbuilding.
The training offer is completed with courses in Basic Marine Mechanics for Small Vessels, which has received strong demand, and Sailmaking and Rigging, highly valued by both professional technicians and sailing enthusiasts.
