MITEC to Produce Education, Training and Workforce Development Track

May 8, 2008, Annapolis, MD; Brooklin, ME; and Chicago, IL:  Members of the Marine Industry Technical Education Council (MITEC) have decided to capitalize on the success of the February 2008 COMITT by following-up that event with a full-day offering as an IBEX Pre-Conference.  This program will take place at the Miami Beach Convention Center on Sunday, October 5.  In addition, MITEC will be responsible for six workforce development seminars during IBEX, which will be held October 6 - 8.

As well as producing COMITT, MITEC has an ambitious agenda for the next year, starting with a Needs and Skills Analysis to pinpoint exactly where the workforce shortages are and what kind of skills training is needed.  The group’s second priority is to develop a report on the requirements to create an accreditation system for post-secondary marine-training programs.  And the third is to create a coordinated communications plan for educators, state employment agencies, and the marine industry.

MITEC Chairman and Vice President, Corporate Education and Training at New England Institute of Technology Steve Kitchin said, “Holding a pre-conference event and developing a group of seminars with IBEX will help us continue the momentum that was established at the February event.  It will also give us the opportunity to report out on the progress we have made towards our goals.  Our hope is that the pre-conference meeting and seminars will bring even more attention to the marine industry’s workforce development issues and reach a wider audience – all while helping to spread the MITEC mission.”

MITEC is focusing its efforts on programs designed to help marine-industry businesses recruit and retain marine-industry employees, and to address a workforce shortage that has become a severe problem in our industry.  Kitchin continued, “All of these projects will have a direct impact on the top three problems voiced by COMITT attendees,” said MITEC Chairman Steve Kitchin, “and we are charged and ready to move forward.”

“We are delighted to have COMITT and MITEC become a part of IBEX this year.  It is a natural fit,” said Carl Cramer, publisher of Professional BoatBuilder magazine and show co-director of IBEX.  “Education, communication and training have always been major components of our company philosophy, and we look forward to helping spread the word about MITEC at this event.”

Details on the COMITT Pre-conference IBEX and seminars will be forthcoming.  However, for additional information on COMITT, visit www.comitt.org and www.marinelear.ning.com.   For additional information on the Marine Industry Technical Education Council (MITEC), please visit www.boatingcareerinfo.org.