With support from Yamaha Marine and the Marine Industries Association of Southwest Florida and Tampa Bay, Fort Myers Technical College can offer Yamaha’s new maintenance certification program.
The industry association contributed $10,000 toward the curriculum, and Yamaha donated an F300 outboard for hands-on instruction.
“With support from the Marine Industries Association and their dealer members and Yamaha, Fort Myers Technical College will be better positioned to educate the next generation of marine technicians,” Yamaha’s Gregg Snyder said in a statement.
Earlier this year, York Road Marine contributed a 40-hp Yamaha outboard to FMTC’s Marine Program. Bonita Boat Center donated an F225 Yamaha to the school.
“The 225 is the last piece of equipment we needed to start providing the training required for students to earn five levels of the Yamaha certifications,” said Mike Esterline, FMTC’s marine service technologies instructor.
“We need more of our local marine industry businesses to invest and become involved in our training program like Bonita Boat center and York Road Marine have, to help us provide more and better-trained entry-level marine technicians to our ever-expanding marine industry here in Southwest Florida,” he said.
