Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College, Shell Lake, Wis., has been selected as the recipient of the annual MRAA Technical School Scholarship, the MRAA Educational Foundation announced yesterday. The scholarship was presented to Todd Larson, an instrutctor at Wisconsin Indeanhead Technical College, on Sunday evening, Dec. 10, during the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas Opening Night Awards Celebration at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, Fla.
The school offers a three-semester Marine Repair Technician Program, which centers around the repair and servicing of recreational watercraft. A recent addition to their curriculum is the Light Outboard Servicing Certification, offering students the knowledge to enter the workforce capable of conducting basic repairs. Advanced certificates are also offered, allowing graduates to further hone their skills. Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College currently has working relationships with both Yamaha and Evinrude. To be considered to receive the MRAA Tech School Scholarship funds, WITC Foundation applicants must successfully complete or have completed the first semester of the program, have done well academically in all classes, show leadership in the classroom, demonstrate good mechanical ability, and possess enthusiasm for the marine industry.
Initially underwritten by the OMC Foundation, the purpose of the MRAA Technical School Scholarship is to offer financial assistance for technical training of prospective dealership personnel. Applicants must have graduated students who have entered the recreational marine industry within the past 12 months, show evidence of plans to offer marine technician training in the upcoming year, submit qualifications that determine scholarship recipient, and proof of students looking to enter the recreational marine trades. Recipients are awarded up to $3,000 to be distributed to a student or students preparing for a career in a recreational marine dealership.
“What clearly set this year’s Tech School Scholarship recipient apart from other applicants was that as a result of receiving the scholarship in past years, this school was able to graduate a number of marine technicians who have gone on to work in MRAA member dealerships – including two in the last year alone,” comments Jeff Siems, President of the MRAA Educational Foundation Board of Directors.
About MRAA Educational Foundation
As part of its mission to create a strong and healthy boating industry, the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas is committed to offering training, education and professional development opportunities to its members and the entire marine dealer community. In 2004, the association launched the MRAA Educational Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c) 3 corporation, to provide financial support for education, training and professional development in the recreational marine trades. For more information or to donate to support the foundation’s mission, visit MRAA.com/foundation.
About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the companies that interact with the boater in their community must thrive. Those businesses determine the boater’s experience and are the leading factor in the industry’s success. MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those businesses, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com.
