RIMTA Graduates Newport Class of the Youth Summer Boatbuilding Program

The Rhode Island Marine Trades Association (RIMTA) Youth Summer Boatbuilding Program in Newport has ended for this year and graduates will be showcasing their accomplishment at a boat launch ceremony on August 2 at Fort Adams State Park Beach.

The 80-hour course for 14- to 16-year-olds, hosted by Newport Area Career & Technical Center, exposes Rhode Island young people to the skills and careers in the marine industry. This summer under the guidance of Kevin McKiernan, North Providence Marine Tech High School instructor, ten students from Newport County built two GO-ZO prams from ZO Boats (from Bristol, Rhode Island) with support from Aquidneck Custom Composites and Walworth Yacht Designs.

The Newport program is one of three RIMTA youth boatbuilding programs being run this summer. The other programs are in Bristol and North Providence. RIMTA’s approach in cultivating its workforce–working in close partnership with local marine businesses, schools and funders to run programs for ages 14 and up–has become a model for the U.S. marine industry.