Lake Michigan College in South Haven, Mich., in collaboration with the American Boat & Yacht Council, the Michigan Boating Industries Association and local marinas, is offering a seven-week certificate marine-technician training program.
“We’re excited to have a training program in South Haven that aims to equip the next generation of marine technicians with the tools to enter the maritime industry,” Griffin S. Graham, South Haven assistant city manager and harbormaster, said in a statement. “The program reflects our commitment to supporting local businesses, workforce development and our community’s rich maritime heritage.”
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for powerboat mechanics and service technicians in the United States as of May 2022 was $48,280.
Lake Michigan College associate dean Jeremy Burleson said there have been 135 job postings for marine technicians in the last year.
“South Haven currently has 230 boats that need updating with new electrical systems, and there is four-month wait to have a technician service them,” Burleson said in the statement. “After contacting marinas as far north as Cadillac and as far south as New Buffalo, almost everyone I spoke with said that they needed technicians and that many of their current technicians were close to retirement age, so the need for techs will only grow.”
The technician program prepares students to earn a Mercury Marine Technician number and sit for the ABYC marine service technology exam. The next seven-week course begins Sept. 11 and is offered online, except for one day of first aid CPR/AED and seven days when students travel to Macomb Community College in Warren, Mich., for classroom sessions.
Click here for registration and other information.
