Press Releases

June 8, 2005, Edgewater, MD: As part of it's Convenience Learning Program, the American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC) recently conducted an Electrical Certification course at the ITE Training Group Marine Skills Centre in Poole, United Kingdom. Sunseeker International Limited, Marina Marbella and ITE Marine Skills students attended the certification course which lasted four days. This is the fourth time ABYC has taken the Electrical Certification program abroad as a result of requests for on-site training. Members of ten international marine facilities located in Australia and the United Kingdom have now participated in ABYC's Electrical Certification course.

As part of the on-site training program, ABYC travels to a facility to provide easy and convenient access to training, while lowering overall training costs and time away from work. Ed Sherman, ABYC's Curriculum Development Administrator & Senior Instructor, covered topics such as Electrical Theory, Lead-Acid Batteries, Using a Multi-meter, Battery Testing, Generator Sets, Inverters, Grounding and Bonding Systems, and Troubleshooting. On the final day, students were able to take a 200 question certification test.

Bonnie Barsa, ABYC Education Director said, "The great benefit of this particular ABYC training event was that the manufacturers took advantage of their local training center. The ITE training center is available to all manufacturers in the area, and use of the facility is free of charge for them. A minimum number of students are needed for ABYC to bring the course and instructor directly to a facility, and if a facility cannot fill the minimum student requirement, we encourage marine businesses to be a host training site or coordinate with an area training center to fill the minimum student requirement, such as these manufacturers did," concluded Barsa.

To inquire about ABYC's Convenience Learning Program or to schedule on-site training, please call ABYC's Education Department at (410) 956-1050 or email bbarsa@abycinc.org. Information on ITE Training and their Marine Skills program can be found by visiting www.ite-training.co.uk.

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 certification programs for marine technicians. These standards are available on CD-ROM and in printed form. Membership and general information can be requested by calling (410) 956-1050 or by visiting the ABYC website at www.abyinc.org.