MMTA helps fund maritime training at three tech high schools

Photo: American Boat & Yacht Council

The Massachusetts Marine Trades Association (MMTA) reports that three technical high schools — Cape Cod Regional Technical High School, Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical School, and Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School — are bringing the American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC) curriculum to their schools starting this fall.

The MMTA provided the schools with financial assistance to help pay for the curriculum and some of the textbooks needed to start the programs. This funding was available through the workforce budget amendment the MMTA received last year from the Massachusetts state budget.

“I’m thrilled to see the state of Massachusetts adopt our ABYC Fundamentals curriculum in three of its high schools,” said Ed Sherman, vice president of education at ABYC. “The Massachusetts Marine Trades Association is the first to take this proactive role in helping to fund this endeavor as a part of its workforce development efforts. Other marine trade groups should follow their lead. The ABYC’s standards-based program will go a long way toward development for the next generation of marine industry service professionals.”

ABYC is known as the industry training leader on a national level within the boating industry.

MMTA notes that the two Cape Cod technical schools currently have well respected marine training programs in place and over the years have contributed numerous staff members to boating industry businesses in the state.

The New Bedford program will offer a 900-hour, adult marine training program this fall and begin a day program in fall 2020. The ABYC curriculum will offer students an industry-recognized certificate, making them more valuable to businesses in the future. The curriculum will complement and expand on the current state marine training curriculum.

MMTA says that workforce solutions within the boating industry in Massachusetts remain a top priority.