Evinrude Provides Tools and Funding for Maritime Careers

Gateway Technical College and Evinrude announced the official opening of the BRP Evinrude Technology Institute on October 15. The event was held at the college’s Technical Building on its Racine Campus and featured a short presentation and tours of the lab.

Students in Gateway’s Motorcycle, Marine and Outdoor Power Service Technician technical diploma program will train in the lab. Service technicians in this field maintain, diagnose and repair two- and four-stroke engines, hydraulics, outboard and inboard engines and transmissions. Engines include those such as boat motors, personal watercraft, motorcycles and ATVs. The lab features the modern engines, outboard motors, motorcycles, personal watercraft and other equipment students can train on to become proficient in the skills needed for them to succeed in their career.

Evinrude and BRP contributed the many different pieces of equipment and brought industry knowledge to ensure the lab provided cutting-edge technology and curriculum for this in-demand career field.

In addition to providing classroom space to further the education of students, Evinrude also announced this year’s recipients of the Evinrude Water Research Excellence Fellows. The fellowships, worth $5,000, are awarded to master and PhD level students at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences to help fund their research. The award winners were Emily Lou LaMartina, pursuing her master’s thesis in microbial ecology, and Erik Carlson, pursing his master’s thesis in fisheries. The fellowships, along with Evinrude’s donation of engines for the school’s research vessels, support the school’s research into understanding and protecting the Great Lakes and other freshwater resources.