Press Releases
ABYC, Professional Boatbuilder Magazine, & NMMA to Co-Sponsor
the First Annual Marine Industry Professional Development Summit
July 21, 2003, Edgewater, MD: The American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC) in cooperation with the Professional Boatbuilder Magazine, and the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) will co-sponsor the first annual Marine Industry Professional Development Summit to be held, February 2004 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. This industry-endorsed, groundbreaking event will serve as the catalyst and annual forum for addressing and promoting professional development and continuing education within the marine industry. Its planned outcomes promise to have a profound and positive influence on how the marine industry approaches education, training, and professional development well into the 21st century.
This marine industry professional development summit, will gather nationally recognized leaders from industries such as RV, auto, trucking and ski, as well as educators, occupational training experts, marine trade associations, marine manufacturers, suppliers, surveyors, marine underwriters and other marine professionals who will participate in discussions on implementing effective professional development and continuing education programs in our industry. Along with formal presentations, breakout groups and panel discussions will address workforce education and training, professional development and will introduce and debate a centrally administered continuing education credit concept for the marine industry.
The long-recognized need for such an industry summit gained new momentum from ideas generated and discussed during the IBEX 2003 special seminar, Education and Training in the Marine Industry, held last February in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Additional interest and focus was recently raised as a result of a recent feature article which appeared in the July issue of Soundings Trade Only newspaper.
"Education has been a central part of ABYC's mission. Development of new and dynamic competency-based programs will continue to be a major thrust for us in the next decade," said Skip Burdon, President/CEO of ABYC. Burdon further stated, "ABYC has been exploring the possibilities of working and forming alliances with existing marine industry trade associations, education and information services organizations, commercial entities and secondary schools and community colleges to develop a centrally administered industry-supported, professional development program."
"The three primary co-sponsors will invest substantial time and assets in support of the February 2004 summit and would certainly welcome additional sponsors, endorsements, and support from all sectors of the industry," Burdon added. "This is truly a unique opportunity for our community to come together to address a major challenge facing our industry."
Carl Cramer, publisher of Professional BoatBuilder magazine, co-Director of the IBEX 2003 stated, "We want to provide the marine industry with essential education, technologies and information." "Such a collaborative effort will give our industry the necessary tools and direction to begin expanding," Cramer added. "We have always supported ABYC's efforts to broaden and strengthen professional training within the industry, and we feel this summit is essential to the advancement of the marine trades," Cramer concluded.
Thom Dammrich, President of NMMA said, "We can all agree on one universal issue - that there exists a critical and fundamental need for a flexible, yet robust industry professional development program." "One that acknowledges and gives credit to those in the workforce who strive to improve their professional competencies and skill sets, and one which ensures continuous improvement in quality for the boating public," Dammrich concluded.
This cooperative education and training initiative has garnered additional conceptual support from additional industry leaders – from marine trade and professional associations, marine manufacturers, marine repair commercial entities and government agencies to leading providers of occupational competency assessments and services and educational accreditation authorities. Mark Amaral, managing director for American Boat Builders and Repairers Association (ABBRA), says, "ABBRA's goal is to provide the widest range of quality training to its members. Any initiative to improve the quality and quantity of training within the industry is important."
Professional BoatBuilder magazine was founded in 1989 and reaches 27,500 marine professionals around the world. IBEX was founded by Professional BoatBuilder in 1992, and continues without comparison as the leading trade show for marine OEMs, aftermarket, and specifiers. For more information about IBEX please visit www.ibexshows.com. If you would like information about Professional BoatBuilder magazine you may visit www.proboat.com.
NMMA is a non-profit association with more than 1,400 companies that produce every conceivable product used by recreational boaters. NMMA is dedicated to creating, promoting and protecting an environment where members can achieve financial success through excellence in manufacturing, in selling, and in servicing their customers. NMMA today provides a wide variety of programs and services tailored to member needs including technical expertise, standards monitoring, government relation's, industry statistics, as well as boat shows. For more information on NMMA please visit www.nmma.org.
ABYC has been developing, writing and updating the safety standards for boat building and repair in the United States for nearly 50 years and 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. For more information concerning this industry supported, co-sponsored event contact, ABYC, Caroline Chetelat at (410) 956-1050 or cchetelat@abyc.org. Membership and general information can be requested by calling (410) 956-1050 or by visiting the ABYC Web Site at www.abycinc.org.
- 30 -
|
