Lake Michigan College offers new Marine Maintenance Technician program

In the midst of rising demand in the maritime industry, Lake Michigan College has announced that its new Marine Maintenance Technician program is ready to set sail.

The program was developed as part of a collaboration with the Michigan Boating Industries Association and the American Boat and Yacht Council, as well as local marinas. The certificate program takes seven weeks to complete and is based at LMC’s South Haven Campus. Students who complete the program will be prepared for a job maintaining and repairing boats of all kinds.

In an article posted on Lake Michigan College’s website, Griffin S. Graham, who is the South Haven Assistant City Manager and Harbormaster, was quoted on the new program, saying, “We’re excited to have a training program in South Haven that aims to equip the next generation of marine technicians with the tools to enter the maritime industry. This program reflects our commitment to supporting local businesses, workforce development, and our community’s rich maritime heritage.” 

The job of a marine technician is to repair and maintain cabin cruisers and yachts, catamarans, houseboats, personal watercraft, ski boats, and any other pleasure boat that can take to the Great Lakes.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics found in a report from May 2022 that the median annual salary for motorboat mechanics and service technicians in the United States was just over $48,280.

Michigan has over 3,822 miles of shoreline, and the second highest number of registered boats in the country, and therefore offers plenty of opportunities for a career in Marine Maintenance Technicians.

Lake Michigan College’s Associate Dean of Regional Campuses Jeremy Bureson noted that there have been over 100 job postings for marine technicians just in the last year.

“South Haven currently has 230 boats that need updating with new electrical systems, and there is a four-month wait to have a technician service them. After contacting marinas as far north as Cadillac and as far south as New Buffalo, almost everyone I spoke with said that they needed technicians and that many of their current technicians were close to retirement age, so the need for techs will only grow,” he said.

Lake Michigan College’s Marine Maintenance Technician program will prepare students to receive their lifetime Mercury Marine Technician number and qualify them to sit for the American Boat and Yacht Council Marine Service Technology Exam.

Students who attend the program will become skilled in both outboard and inboard engine technology and earn several certifications such as CPR/AED, American Heart Association First Aid, and OSHA 10, while also learning a variety of skills from plumbing and electrical systems to rigging and hydraulics.

The next session of the course starts on Monday, September 11. The program is offered almost entirely online, with the exception of a one-day First Aid CPR/AED class and seven days when students will travel to Macomb Community College in Warren, Michigan to do hands-on learning at the state of the art marine facility there.

Students interested in more information or registering for the program can contact Jeremy Burleson by phone at 269-637-7514, or by email at jburleson@lakemichigancollege.edu. Additionally, more information can be found at Lake Michigan College's website.