Room-block rate for COMITT to end next week
ANNAPOLIS, Md.; BROOKLIN, Maine; CHICAGO – The room-block rate to attend the third Conference on Marine Industry Technical Training, being held Feb. 18 – 20 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., will end Jan. 18, and early-bird registration will end Feb. 1, organizers said in a press release this week. A full conference brochure is available online at www.comitt.org.
COMITT will focus on addressing solutions for combating the labor shortage challenge. Attendees will hear from and interact with industry peers who have lead the path in securing state grant money for incumbent-worker training. They will share their grant-writing tips to avoid the delays and pitfalls that often accompany the search and acquisition of training dollars, according to organizers.
In addition, attendees will learn how to utilize state-run career centers, how to manage successful recruitment, retention and training programs, and how to select the best training tools and techniques for their employees, organizers stated.
For two full days, conference attendees will focus on these issues and work together to find practical solutions, said organizers, who encourage all levels of industry to participate. Human relations representatives, the technical work force and all levels of engineering, production and management are needed to help build cooperative bridges that will connect worker needs and required skills with affordable training opportunities, they added.
COMITT 2008 will provide a forum to discuss, present and demonstrate industry support of technical workforce education, training, certification and professional development. COMITT’s purpose is to become the internationally recognized leading summit to highlight the marine industry’s commitment to developing and maintaining a highly skilled and technically proficient workforce.
The meetings are also designed to provide participants with the opportunity to connect directly with experts and industry professionals, with whom they can consult long after the conference ends, organizers said.
“We have come a long way since the first COMITT over three years ago,” said Steve Kitchin, MITEC chair and VP of Corporate Education and Training at New England Institute of Technology. “The industry and schools from around the country have rallied to form the Marine Industry Technical Education Council. Marine Trades Associations, manufacturers and dealers have come together in the support of providing effective training and education opportunities; yards, repair facilities and surveyors have dedicated resources to improve and support our effort and government agencies have responded to our calls for providing financial assistance. It is now time to gather together to share all we have learned and to determine what needs do be done to further implement cost efficient quality training and education programs in order to sustain our competitive edge in the global market.”
- For more of the latest news, click here.
