Westlawn Institute of Marine Technology

For Immediate Release

Contact: Caroline Chetelat at ABYC

(410) 990-4460, x22

Westlawn Institute of Marine Technology and SUNY Maritime

Announce Joint Marine Continuing-Education Program

Combined With ABYC Courses, Your Source for Marine Training

April 12, 2007, Annapolis, MD: The Westlawn Institute of Marine Technology and SUNY Maritime College are pleased to announce a new joint continuing-education (CE) program to offer a wide selection of courses exclusively accredited or certified by third-party agencies to serve the boating industry’s need for highly trained workers. The combination of Westlawn, SUNY Maritime, and ABYC courses cover subjects from the fundamentals of boat design, maintenance and repair, to marine surveying, through metal corrosion, to training for captain’s licenses, and radar recertification. All of Westlawn’s courses are available entirely through distance learning. SUNY Maritime’s marine-surveying courses are also distance learning, in addition to offering additional on campus CE courses. ABYC courses and certifications are offered at various locations throughout the country, as well as on-site at facilities.

Awards: Certificates of completion and continuing-education units (CEUs) are granted by Westlawn and SUNY Maritime upon completion of each course. CEUs and certificates are recorded in the student’s permanent academic record at both Westlawn and SUNY Maritime. “Advanced Certificates” in Marine Surveying and Boat Management are also awarded by SUNY Maritime to students who complete recommended combinations of courses. Detailed course information, as well as recommended courses to receive an Advanced Certificate can be found by visiting www.westlawn.edu and clicking on the Course Information menu tab, and then the Continuing Education link, or directly at Joint Westlawn/SUNY Maritime CE Program.

According to Dave Gerr, Westlawn Director, “This combined course offering is one of the largest selections of marine continuing-education programs available anywhere in the world. Because Westlawn and ABYC courses are oriented towards the recreational boating industry and SUNY Maritime is more shipping oriented, offering co-recognition for all these courses gives differing audiences a broader selection of courses that support one another, while providing students with triple the recognition for their work. For example, Westlawn offers a Metal Corrosion course which would be an excellent course to take prior to the ABYC Marine Corrosion Certification. To gain a deeper understanding of boat design and enhance training for NAMS or SAMS, a surveyor may want to take the SUNY Maritime marine surveying course in addition to Westlawn’s Yacht Design Lite. This kind of tiered education is great for new employees entering the marine industry, as well as experienced workers seeking continuing education and training. Equally important, these courses offer an ideal way for marine employers to enhance their workers’ skills and productivity.”

“As a graduate of SUNY Maritime, I know first-hand the quality of both their on-campus and distance learning programs. This partnership can only strengthen our mutual capabilities to deliver timely and relevant technical-based professional development courses to the professional mariner as well as to the marine technical workforce,” stated Skip Burdon, ABYC’s President.

“By collaborating with Westlawn and ABYC, SUNY Maritime has significantly enhanced our ability to service the educational needs of surveyors, marine professionals and boating enthusiasts everywhere,” says John McInerney, Program Director of SUNY Maritime College’s Continuing Education department. “Maritime has a commitment to serve the entire industry with quality and comprehensive training opportunities and our online programs are an effective way of reaching students from every corner of the world. This partnership will strengthen our curriculum exponentially.”

Below is a list of Westlawn, SUNY Maritime and ABYC courses that are included in the joint CE-program:

Westlawn Distance-Learning CE Course Offerings – 2007:

All Westlawn courses may be started at any time during the year because they are distance learning. Distance learning is a cost-effective way to advance your career or train employees. There is no travel, little time lost from work, no on-site or off-site set-up and no facility rental, no visiting instructors, modest tuition costs, you start when you want and study at your own pace. Westlawn has been teaching via distance learning for more than 75 years. Below is the listing of Westlawn distance learning CE courses:

· Yacht Design Lite (YDL) – Fundamentals of Boat Design

· Metal Corrosion in Boats

· Fuel Systems for Boats

· Fiberglass Boatbuilding: Materials & Methods

· Fiberglass Boatbuilding Production Methods

· Interior Design Methods for Yacht Design and the Boatbuilding Industry

In addition to the above courses, Westlawn is currently developing three new CE courses that will be offered in late 2007. They are: Exhaust Systems for Boats, Boat Drivetrain Installations and Requirements and Rudders & Steering Systems, Installation and Design.

SUNY Maritime CE Course Offerings – 2007:

It is important to note that as opposed to Westlawn’s course offerings, SUNY Maritime CE courses have specific starting dates. Please check the SUNY Maritime CE-course web site, www.sunymaritime.edu for details, as well as detailed information on the following CE on-line and on-campus courses offered:

On-line CE Courses: Marine Surveying: Yacht Damage, Hull, or Cargo

On-Campus Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels (OUPV) Courses:

· U.S. Coast Guard Approved

· Six-Pac; 100-Ton Upgrade; 200-Ton Upgrade

· Basic Safety Training

· Able Seaman’s Courses

· Lifeboatman

· Radar Certification

· Celestial Navigation; and many others.

ABYC Technician Training & Certification Course Offerings – 2007:

ABYC has developed a comprehensive standards-based training program to improve the quality and professionalism of boat building, maintenance and repair. The program consists of over 30 courses a year, including ABYC’s seven certifications (Electrical, Engines & Support Systems, AC/Refrigeration, Composite Boat Building, Marine Corrosion and Marine Systems). All these courses are being offered as part of the continuing-education program. To register for a class, or for more information on dates and locations, visit www.abycinc.org.

ABYC has been developing, writing and updating the safety standards for boat building and repair in the United States for over 50 years. ABYC is actively involved with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) as well as education and certification programs for marine technicians. These standards are available on CD-ROM, online (Web-STIR) and in printed form. Membership and general information can be requested by visiting the ABYC web site at www.abycinc.org.

Founded in 1874, SUNY Maritime is a four-year college located in Throggs Neck, New York. The first maritime school in the country, SUNY Maritime prepares students for careers in the maritime industry, government, military, and private industry. SUNY Maritime offers a solid academic program coupled with a structured cadet life in the regiment for both men and women. SUNY Maritime College boasts accredited engineering programs, and undergraduate and graduate degrees in: Engineering, Naval Architecture, Marine Transportation/ Business Administration, Maritime Studies, Marine Environmental Science, Humanities, International Transportation and Trade, and a Master's degree in International Transportation Management.

Founded in 1930, the Westlawn Institute of Marine Technology is the only nationally accredited and state-certified distance-learning school of small-craft design in the United States. As the not-for-profit educational affiliate of the American Boat and Yacht Council, the mission of the Westlawn Institute of Marine Technology is threefold:

■ To provide our students with the skills and knowledge required to build a rewarding career in the profession of yacht and small-craft naval architecture.

■ To support continued growth of the recreational and small-craft marine community through the development of well-trained, safety oriented, boat designers developing better products for the benefit of the boating public.

■ To provide continuing education to marine industry professionals.

To learn more about Westlawn, please call (860) 572-7900 or visit the Westlawn website at www.westlawn.edu.