The American Boat & Yacht Council Foundation has designated the Marine Systems curriculum at the IYRS School of Technology and Trades in Newport, R.I., as a Marine Trades Accreditation Program. Launched in 2022, MTAP ensures that students receive training that is aligned with industry needs at secondary and post-secondary schools.
To achieve MTAP designation, a program applies for ABYC approval through an accreditation commission populated by marine industry professionals. Once the application is approved, the ABYC Foundation sends an onsite team to the school.
“The onsite review team was impressed with the level of organization displayed by administration, but also with the attention the faculty members gave to their students,” Sarah Devlin, ABYC accreditation director said in a statement. “These students start with basic wiring and work their way up to complex systems by the end of the six-month program. We witnessed excellent training at the facility and feel confident the students who graduate from the IYRS program will be assets for the marine industry.”
Accreditation is available to all high school and post-secondary school marine service technology programs. Visit teachboats.org for more information.
The MTAP Accreditation Commission includes:
Anne Avary – Skagit Valley College
Rob Berenwick – Ocean County Vocational Technical School
Holly Ashton Duffy – Safe Harbor Marinas
Steven Kitchin – New England Institute of Technology
Patty Lawrence – International Boatbuilders’ Exhibition & Conference
Aaron Porter – Professional BoatBuilder magazine
Nikki Storey – Great Lakes Boat Building School
Kenyon Ward – Yamaha Marine
