Networking expert to lead COMITT discussions

ANNAPOLIS, Md.; BROOKLIN, Maine; and CHICAGO – David Veech from the Institute for Lean Systems will be leading onsite networking sessions to kick-off and close this year’s Conference on Marine Industry Technical Training (COMITT), organizers said in a release yesterday.

The format of these self-organizing forums is designed to encourage interaction among the attendees and presenters, and to discover their primary concerns and objectives, according to organizers.

Guided by an expert, such as Veech, open networking offers participants an unusual opportunity to talk about concerns that aren’t on the formal agenda, projects that they want to showcase, and specific products for training and workforce development, organizers stated. All participants are welcome to share what they are bringing to the table.

“This part of COMITT may not have a set agenda, but it still has a defined structure that will provide attendees with a set of tools for successfully navigating the entire event,” said Barbara Jean Walsh, COMITT Planning Committee chair. “We are delighted to have David Veech conducting this session for us. It is a very dynamic type of activity – quite different from a keynote address – and we believe this will help attendees make immediate connections with the right people, projects, vendors and tools for their individual endeavors.”

Veech is the executive director of the Institute for Lean Systems, where he develops and teaches certification courses, executive courses, and short courses in topics related to human performance (problem solving, motivation, employee involvement and satisfaction, team building, and leadership). He also provides executive coaching for ILS clients.

COMITT 2008 will provide a forum to discuss, present and demonstrate industry support of technical workforce education, training, certification and professional development. COMITT is a summit to highlight the marine industry’s commitment to developing and maintaining a highly skilled and technically proficient workforce. For additional information on COMITT, visit www.comitt.org.

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