RIMTA expands marine trades pre-apprenticeship program

THE MARINE Trades Pre-Apprenticeship Program is expanding to include training in the skill sets needed by R.I. composites companies. The program is coordinated by the Rhode Island Marine Trades Association.
THE MARINE Trades Pre-Apprenticeship Program is expanding to include training in the skill sets needed by R.I. composites companies. The program is coordinated by the Rhode Island Marine Trades Association.

PROVIDENCE – The Marine Trades Pre-Apprenticeship Program, a free seven-week program where individuals gain entry-level skills needed to work in local industry, has announced its expansion to include training in the skill sets needed by R.I. composites companies.
The program, coordinated by the Rhode Island Marine Trades Association, now includes a full week of composites instruction to provide trainees with hands-on experience in the basic processes used by the companies that build with these materials, according to a press release from RIMTA.
The U.S. composites industry generates $70 billion in annual revenue and is projected to grow an average of 6.5 percent between now and the year 2020, according to the American Composites Manufacturers Association.
Rhode Island is nationally known for its composites expertise, with its boat builders among the early pioneers building with composites. Today, the Ocean State is home to a collection of composites companies that work in a wide range of industries including boat building as well as alternative energy, architecture, defense, medical, robotics, sports and recreation, transportation and underwater submersibles, according to RIMTA.
“The newly expanded Marine Trades & Composites Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program is a great opportunity for those who like to work with their hands and want to gain the basic skills needed to start careers in the marine or composites industries,” Jen Cornwell, RIMTA program director, said in a statement. “Local businesses look to our program as a rich resource for talented, entry-level workers. The last class that graduated in April had a 100 percent job placement rate.”
The program is open to Rhode Island residents over age 18. Participants in the past have ranged from recent high school graduates to veterans and mid-career workers looking to train in a new field.
Trainees in the program receive hands-on instruction in a wide range of skills, learning at both area companies and educational providers such as IYRS School of Technology & Trades and the New England Institute of Technology. In addition, trainees get the opportunity to network with business leaders and their employees, and every trainee completes a short internship in the skill area that best matches their interests, which often lead to full-time employment.
The next round of training begins on July 13, running until late-August. The program is free due to funding from the R.I. Governor’s Workforce Board, and trainees will receive a small weekly stipend. The program requires a full-time commitment and runs Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
More information is available at www.rimta.org. Details on the program, as well as an online application, can be found in the “New Worker Training” section under the “Programs” tab. Deadline for applications is June 26.
Potential applicants also can contact Program Director Jen Cornwell at jen@rimta.org or 401-396-9619 for information.

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