The Massachusetts Marine Trades Association (MMTA) has been selected as a recipient of a 2017 Marine Trade Association Technical Scholarship, announced the MRAA Educational Foundation yesterday. The scholarship was presented to Randall Lyons, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Marine Trades Association, 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 Technical Scholarship funds will be distributed through the Massachusetts Marine Trades Educational Trust, whch believes in industry growth through collaboration, communication and education, and has a dual focus on getting more kids on the water and assisting with the current industry workforce crisis. The Educational Trust offers two scholarships of up to $1,500 for Massachusetts residents taking boating industry training courses in and around Massachusetts.
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. MRAA Technical School Scholarship recipients must submit a photo/video detailing the scholarship winner(s). Recipient(s) will be awarded up to $3,000 to be distributed to a student or students preparing for a career in a recreational marine dealership.
“The Massachusetts Marine Trades Association and its Educational Trust clearly share our dedication to helping the industry navigate the current workforce crisis through training and education,” comments Jeff Siems, President of the MRAA Educational Foundation Board of Directors. “We are proud to be able to support their efforts through this scholarship.”
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.
