The Marine Trades Association of New Jersey (MTA/NJ) has been selected as the recipient of the 2018 Marine Trade Association Technical Scholarship, announced the MRAA Educational Foundation. The scholarship was presented to Melissa Danko, executive director of the Marine Trades Association of New Jersey, at the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo on Sunday evening, Dec. 9, during the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas Opening Night Awards Celebration at the Rosen Plaza Hotel in Orlando, Fla.
 
The MRAA Educational Foundation’s MTA Technical Scholarship funds will be distributed through the new MTA/NJ Technical Training Scholarship program. The New Jersey association created this scholarship as a way to expand its Foundation’s support of members with their training and certification needs. As a result, four members of the MTA/NJ, selected by the MTA/NJ Education Committee, will be awarded full scholarships to attend the ABYC’s Marine Systems Certification Course.
 
Initially underwritten by the OMC Foundation and now made possible by industry donations, the purpose of the MRAA Technical Scholarship is to offer financial assistance for technical training of current and prospective dealership personnel. Applying marine trade associations must show evidence of plans to offer a scholarship for technical training of marine dealership personnel in the year ahead and commit to matching the $1,500 scholarship provided to the association, should they be selected.
 
“The Marine Trades Association of New Jersey shares our dedication to helping marine businesses train and grow their employees,” says Matt Lodder of Marine Sales Group and the MRAA Educational Foundation Board of Directors. “We are proud to be able to support their efforts – and contribute to the professional development of four of their members – through this scholarship.”