Tag Archives: Workforce Training

By Margaret Podlich Thousands of polite, pulled-together, 16-22 year olds descended on Atlanta during a sweltering week in June. They hailed from high schools, post-secondary technical schools, and community colleges from around the country. All students were required to dress appropriately for their trade, so some were in white double-breasted chef coats, others in pressed Carhartt khaki top and bottom ...

By Matt Edmundson We all know of the skills gap, but is it different for us in the marine industry? What trade other than a marine technician must have such a versatile skill set to be successful? How do we find and train new techs? Compared to similar industries such as automotive or aerospace, the marine industry has historically not ...

The American Boat Builders and Repairers Association’s (ABBRA) annual Marine Service Managers Course will be held virtually in November 2022. ABBRA offers the only extensive leadership training for boatyard operators that provides an industry-recognized credential (Certified Marine Service Manager) for qualified applicants. The course is sponsored by ABBRA. Employers know they need a team of competent certified technicians. That team ...

Sea Ray, Bayliner and Heyday recently came together in St. Augustine, Florida for a week-long, hands-on gelcoat repair training course.  “Our instructional program is designed to train techs from our dealer partners so that they can be more efficient with their warranty service while ensuring that they deliver a high-quality repair,” said Tammie Chapman, Senior Manager, Warranty, Brunswick Boat Group. ...

Gage Marine and Great Lakes Boat Building School (GLBBS) of Cedarville, Mich. are collaborating with the goal of promoting postsecondary opportunities in the marine industry. The Marine Trades Showcase will begin at the Gage Marine WI-50 location on Tuesday, April 26, 2022 at 10 a.m. and will culminate with a boat cruise from their marina on Lake Geneva. This event ...

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $2.7 million CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to the Great Lakes Boat Building School, in Cedarville, Michigan, to construct a 10,000-square-foot school expansion, establish new boat-docking infrastructure and purchase additional marine electronics testing equipment. This project will more than double training capacity ...

After two years of research, consultation, and fine-tuning, the ABYC Foundation launched the first official Marine Trades Accreditation Program (MTAP) for schools teaching marine service. MTAP is designed to ensure quality training that is aligned with industry needs, at both high school and post-secondary schools, ultimately creating a bigger and stronger pipeline for much needed entry-level workers. “Having an employee ...

The National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA) has announced the lineup and dates of the marine electronics installer training classes for 2022. Offered are the Basic Marine Electronics Installer (MEI), Advanced Marine Electronics Installer (AMEI), Basic NMEA 2000® Network Installer and Advanced NMEA 2000® Network Installer courses. Basic classes are taught in person and virtually, while advanced classes are only taught ...

By Sarah DevlinContent Director, American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC) Following up on “Workforce Development: Why It Matters,” (May issue of Boating Industry), the American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC) team has compiled what programs are available for students and industry professionals alike. The third article in this series will address how each of us in the industry can help ...

The ABYC Foundation is seeking nominations for its Educator of the Year Award, honoring an outstanding instructor who is shaping future marine service technicians. Candidates should be currently teaching marine service technology for recreational boats in a high school, post-secondary school or corporate setting. “We had a strong pool of candidates for last year’s Educator of the Year Award and we are excited to ...