PHOTO COURTESY OF LAKE MICHIGAN COLLEGE
In response to a growing need in the marine industry, Lake Michigan College has launched a new Maritime Maintenance Technician Program that equips students for a job maintaining and repairing boats of all shapes and sizes.
The seven-week course prepares students to earn their lifetime Mercury Marine Technician number and sit for the American Boat & Yacht Council Marine Service Technology Exam.
“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,” says South Haven Assistant City Manager and Harbormaster Griffin S. Graham. “This program reflects our commitment to supporting local businesses, workforce development, and our community’s rich maritime heritage.”
Designed in collaboration with the American Boat and Yacht Council, Michigan Boating Industries Association and local marinas, the new program is offered through the South Haven Campus. It is offered online except for one day of First Aid CPR/AED and seven days when students travel to Macomb Community College in Warren, Michigan, to learn at their state-of-the-art marine facility. Students learn skills surrounding both inboard and outboard engine technology, and earn multiple certifications, including OSHA 10, American Heart Association First Aid, and CPR/AED along with learning everything from hydraulics and rigging to electrical and plumbing systems.
“South Haven currently has 230 boats that need updating with new electrical systems, and there is a four-month wait to have a technician service them,” explains Jeremy Burleson, LMC’s associate dean, regional campuses. “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.”
To learn more, visit lakemichigancollege.edu/academics/manufacturing-industrial-technology/marine-technology
