As Volvo fleet sails away new boatbuilding programs sails into Newport

by Cynthia Goss on 20 May 2015 The Volvo Ocean Race fleet has sailed away, leaving in its wake thousands of local youth with fresh exposure to the excitement of boating. A new boatbuilding program that launches this summer in Newport will give those young people who want to further their interest an opportunity to explore the marine trades as a potential career path.

The new Summer 2015 Newport Boatbuilding Program launches in early July at the Newport Area Career and Technical Center. The six-week program is coordinated by the Rhode Island Marine Trades Association (RIMTA) with Newport Public Schools and the Workforce Partnership of Greater Rhode Island.

The program is open to students ages 14-16 who reside in Newport, Jamestown, Middletown, Portsmouth and Tiverton. Students will gain hands-on experience in boat building while learning more about the local marine industry through tours and visits with leaders in the field.

“The new Summer Boatbuilding Program is the perfect launching pad for a young person from the Newport area who wants to learn more about working around boats,” said RIMTA Program Director Jen Cornwell. “If students enjoy what they learn, there is an entire ladder of training programs in Rhode Island they can pursue after this summer.”

Cornwell stresses that boating experience is not a prerequisite for gaining entry into the program. Students only need to have an interest in boats and a desire to work with their hands. The students’ main project will be building a wooden skiff, which they will launch at graduation.

Thanks to funding from the Workforce Partnership of Greater Rhode Island, the program is free and students will receive a small weekly stipend. The program runs July 6 to August 14, Mondays through Thursdays, 8 am to 1 pm.

Interested applicants can apply online and following the Youth Summer Work category under the Programs tab.