A Marine Service Technology program offered to adult learners last year now welcomes high school students thanks to a state Skills Capital Grant.
Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School was awarded $181,778 to purchase a Parker-brand boat, Yamaha-brand WaveRunner and Sea-Doo GTR for student learning; Yamaha outboards for student training; and a new ventilation system to proper exhaust for engines.
“The Baker-Polito Administration has been incredibly supportive of career technical education, and the Whittier Tech community has benefited as a result,” said Superintendent Maureen Lynch. “The night program in Marine Service Technology has been very successful, and we are excited at the opportunity to expand it to even more students.”
Last year’s program for adults was supported by Yamaha and the Massachusetts Marine Trades Association and trained three classes of unemployed or underemployed workers for entry-level jobs in a high-demand field.
Whittier Tech also applied to the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for approval to create the Marine Service Technology pathway in the day program. If approved, Marine Service Technology will be offered as an exploratory class for incoming ninth graders in the 2022-2023 school year. It would be Whitter Tech’s 23rd pathway, among the most offered by any career technical school in the state.
“By expanding our pathways, students will have a greater opportunity to discover their passion and pursue a career in a high-demand, well-paying field,” Vocational Director Amanda Crosby said.
Skills Capital Grants are awarded to educational institutions that showcase partnerships with local businesses and whose curriculum and credentials seek to meet the demand of growing industries in the Commonwealth.