PHOTO COURTESY MARINEMAXMarineMax has partnered with Junior Achievement of South Florida, a non-profit organization that focuses on youth workforce readiness and entrepreneurship. The two entities are partnering on projects to educate younger generations about opportunities in the marine industry.
The first program was founded and created in 2018 by Christine Battles with Advanced Mechanical Enterprises. In a statement, JA of South Florida described its Sea the World program as something that started with the construction of an educational space called a “storefront.” The organization recently revamped the site by promoting numerous career opportunities in the marine industry, from sales and marketing to forklift operator, technician to superyacht crew and port operator opportunities.
The second program creates a pathway to obtaining a master technician certificate. The pre-apprenticeship journeyman program is designed to address the shortage of certified technicians needed to serve boat owners in South Florida and around the country. In addition, JA of South Florida said it wants to eliminate barriers of entry for minorities and those with financial limitations to create opportunities that will lead to well-paying careers in recreational boating.
After completing the pre-apprenticeship program, students can advance to marine technician apprenticeships at dealerships, including FB Marine Group and MarineMax. It is hoped that this will lead to a Mercury Marine Master Technician Certification. The first class of 20 to 25 students recently graduated, and Chris Butts, MarineMax University instructor, donated his time to teach the inaugural class.
MarineMax has trained novice technicians for the last eight years through its in-house Student Technician Program. Butts leads the classes and has graduated nearly 60 students with direct placement in permanent jobs at one of 78 MarineMax stores nationwide.
