IYRS expands Marine Industry Career Day with informative seminars

by Media Services on 10 Feb 2009 On Saturday, February 28, the International Yacht Restoration School (IYRS) of Newport will give job seekers troubled by headlines of high unemployment and a sluggish economy a powerful tool: information.

On the 28th, the school will host its annual Marine Industry Career Day, where individuals interested in working in the field can gather vital information about career opportunities and talk with area employers. Attendees can learn about training programs and hiring needs, identify skills needed by the industry, and attend seminars on pertinent topics such as how to make a career change to the boating business and how to find funding sources for training. Marine companies from throughout New England will be attending.

'This year, we expanded Career Day with a series of seminars with one goal in mind: to give attendees valuable information they can use as they make their career plans,' said Susan Daly of IYRS. 'Individuals in the job market are naturally anxious about the state of the economy: this one-day event has been designed to give those people a look behind the headlines and a reality check—a way to gauge if the marine industry holds promise for their skill sets and career aspirations.'

The event, which is held with support from the United Way of Rhode Island, will take place at IYRS (449 Thames Street, Newport) from 11 am to 2 pm. Admission is free.

According to the Rhode Island Marine Trades Association (RIMTA), there are over 2,000 businesses in the state involved in the boating business, which represents nearly 10 percent of all private employers in Rhode Island. The marine industry is an important business in the state—driven by Narragansett Bay, the natural resource that serves as the economic engine of the entire industry.

'The marine industry is part of the fabric of Rhode Island, and the boating business is here to stay,' said Andy Tyska, president of Bristol Marine (Bristol, RI) and chairman of RIMTA's Education & Training Committee. 'Times may be tough, but this is also the perfect time for individuals to research how their skills fit into this industry—and to get trained and prepare for the future.'

According to figures collected for RIMTA,* the marine industry in Rhode Island will need to train a total of 2,400 workers over the next five to ten years to meet the anticipated employment needs of the industry. To supplement this data collected in 2007-2008, RIMTA is focused on getting a current snapshot of the industry's employment needs—for both the industry and career seekers who wish to enter it. Starting this month, the organization will periodically issue a brief survey to marine companies in the state to gauge hiring needs. According to the same 2007-2008 study, the average salary of marine workers in the state ($39,400) exceeds the average pay for all industries in Rhode Island.

Three seminars, which are new to Career Day, will be held during the one-day event, including:

'Summer Jobs for Teens' at 11:30 AM
Chris Ruhling of Brewer Yacht Yards will conduct a seminar on summer jobs for teens, for both job seekers and their parents. Ruhling will cover the types of jobs available to individuals in this age group, the types of businesses that need to build their workforce in the summer months, the requirements for job seekers, and how to find information about job openings. Brewer Yacht Yards operates 21 boat yards from New York to Maine.

'Career Paths for Career Changers' at 12:15 PM
Many of the same skills that are important to other manufacturing sectors are also valuable to marine companies, although a combination of those skills with a basic understanding of marine systems is often needed. Mechanics, plumbers, welders, electricians, painters, carpenters, machinists, computer operators and electronics technicians are just some of the skills areas utilized in the marine industry. Andy Tyska of Bristol Marine will discuss the range of skills used in the industry, the diversity of companies whose workers have these skill sets, and how to transfer skills from other sectors to the boating business.

'Funding Sources for Training' at 1:00 PM
There are funds available to help job seekers pay for training at accredited institutions such as IYRS. Debra Huntington, IYRS academic coordinator, will give seminar attendees information on student aid and federal programs such as Pell Grants and Stafford loans. Jennifer Cornwell of the Workforce Partnership of Greater RI will overview funding available through state- and federal-workforce development systems and how to request those funds via One-Stop Career Centers.

IYRS is an important training resource for the marine industry and offers both short-term training and two full-time programs, including a one-year Marine Systems Program—on maintaining, installing, and troubleshooting onboard marine systems—and a two-year Boat Building & Restoration Program. The school maintains a waterfront campus on Newport's Thames Street, in addition to a satellite facility in Bristol (RI). IYRS is the current home of the 133-foot 1885 Coronet, the last grand yacht of her time, size, and degree of originality that is now being restored on the Newport campus; this restoration project has drawn international attention to this Rhode Island school.

For more information on the Fourth Annual Marine Industry Career Day on February 28, visit www.iyrs.org or contact John Freer (jfreer@iyrs.org / 401-848-5777, ext. 203).

*Data based on 'The Marine Trades in Rhode Island: A Skills Gap Analysis' (2008), conducted for the Rhode Island Marine Trades Association, funded by the Governor's Workforce Board RI