FT. LAUDERDALE, FL, USA – 17 AUGUST 2017 — American Boat Builders & Repairers Association (ABBRA) in partnership with the Landing School has developed a six-part marine-industry certification course for project managers. The first certification program will be held at the next Refit International Exhibition & Conference, January 10-11, 2018, at the Broward County Convention Center in Ft. Lauderdale. Industry professionals who complete the two-day program and demonstrate competency in all sessions will be awarded the new certification.
ABBRA and the Landing School are both known for providing training relevant to marine industry businesses. The project management certification courses include Project Management Basics, The Art of Estimating, Boat Refit & Building Economics, Team Building and Communications, Project Control and Leadership, and a Case Study. The courses will be taught by Richard Schuhmann, Jamie Houtz, Kristy Lank, and Pam Lendzion. Each Refit Show attendee who successfully completes all six courses will earn an ABBRA Badge at the end of the event. All of ABBRA’s courses are also open to Refit Show attendees who aren’t seeking certification.
“Considering the complexity of modern yacht refits, we see ABBRA’s new certification as a critical effort to raise the bar in the refit workforce,” said Jim Miller, Refit Show director. “Many of the Refit Show’s attendees have asked us to develop seminars that tackle workforce challenges in yards. ABBRA is an expert partner for this area of our conference program.”
Pam Lendzion, ABBRA’s executive director, explained the importance of the certification: “A refit project requires a great deal of forethought and planning. Our objective for the project management course is to provide attendees with relevant tips and guidelines for a successful refit project. A boatyard cannot perform a quality refit successfully and add value to an owner’s asset without a strong project leader, an accurate estimate of cost, a good plan, accountability, a skilled team that works well together, and clear, continuous communication.”
Owned and managed by Professional BoatBuilder magazine, Refit International Exhibition & Conference is a marine industry trade show combining exhibits, seminars, and demonstrations for yacht and boat refit and repair professionals. The Refit Show delivers a potent combination of practical education, emerging technologies, new products, service innovations, and B2B networking. Held at the Broward County Convention Center in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, the Refit Show will take place January 10-11, 2018. Refit Show organizers will announce the full seminar series in early fall. Registration for the Refit Show opens in mid-fall. More information is available online at www.refitshow.com.
