April 27, 2006, Edgewater, MD: The American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC) recently offered its first Marine Systems Certification course in Myrtle Beach, SC. This new workforce certification marks ABYC's seventh in the series of marine industry certification programs and was specifically designed to address a multi-system approach that the other certification programs do not cover.

Designed for the experienced technician, this four-day course will provide students with vital information on 21 ABYC standards as they relate to component selection and installation in a multi-system marine environment. Upon successful completion of this course, and passing a 200-questions certification exam, the student will have demonstrated standards-based system proficiency in the following areas: potable water systems, waste water systems, tankage, plumbing, AC and refrigeration systems, electrical installation, system monitoring, compressed gas systems, hydraulic systems and pump systems.

Mike Downey, Repair Technician at Walstrom Marine, who is now ABYC certified in all seven certification areas said, "I liked that this course encompassed the entire boat - not just one system, and it made me look in sections of the standards I wouldn't usually look at. The information in this course brought clarity to a lot of issues a technician may not normally consider in their everyday work."

"This course, like all ABYC certification courses, went through a thorough development process conducted by the National Occupational Competency Testing Institute (NOCTI)," explained Bonnie Barsa, ABYC Education Director. "A panel of experts determined the tasks required of a systems technician and then built the exam to test to these requirements and outcomes. The pilot test was then administered to over 40 technicians and the pilot test results, along with the analysis of demographic questions, were used to establish the 82.4% cut score for certification," stated Barsa.

The Marine Systems Certification panel was composed of the following experts:

• Steve D'Antonio - Zimmerman Marine, Cardinal, VA
• Roger Hellyar-Brook - The Landing School, Kennebunkport, MA
• Ed Sherman - ABYC, Edgewater, MD
• Gilbert Vidal - Viking Yachts, New Gretna, NJ
• Catalina Yachts, reviewed by Gerry Douglas - Woodland Hills, CA

The fee for this course is $885 for members and $1050 for nonmembers, and it will be offered three additional times during 2006:

• May 1 - 4 in Seattle, WA
• July 11 - 14 in Tampa, FL
• August 8 - 11 in Mystic, CT

Marine industry organizations around the globe may arrange group training upon request by contacting the ABYC Education department.

To find out course details, as well as registration information and a full list of ABYC's educational offerings, you may visit www.abycinc.org or call the ABYC Education Department at (410) 956-1050.

ABYC has been developing, writing and updating the safety standards for boat building and repair in the United States for over 50 years. ABYC is actively involved with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) as well as education and certification programs for marine technicians. These standards are available on CD-ROM, online (Web-STIR) and in printed form. Membership and general information can be requested by visiting the ABYC web site at www.abycinc.org.