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HAVERHILL, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — The Whittier Regional Technical High School has launched a Marine Technology pathway, making it the fourth high school in the state to have the program.
The Marine Technology pathway is the school's 23rd career pathway. There are 306 ninth-graders participating in the Exploratory Program that will have the opportunity to select Marine Technology as a trade pathway in January, according to Whittier Tech.
"We have a really well equipt program starting off the bat," Paul Moskevitz, Vocational Coordinator told WBZ's Shari Small.
The program gives students an opportunity to learn niche technical skills in a field that is full of job opportunities, one instructor said.
"I went to a trade school, I ended up working full time for a number of different dealerships, everywhere I've worked we're always looking to hire and the great thing about having this skill [is] you really have the power to choose," Michael Murray, an Instructor at Whittier Tech said. "...Working on the engines or [if] you want to get more into the boat construction, or even operating the boat itself... charter boat captain, towboat operator, there are so many different avenues in marine technology."
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During the Marine Technology rotation, students learn about buoyancy, annual boat maintenance, performing water pump replacements, boat parts, and more, according to Whittier Tech.
"North Shore, Merrimack Valley, and even up in the sea coast of New Hampshire area there's probably more marinas and boatyard than you can even imagine. I knew that there would be a huge need to fill positions," Moskevitz said.
The freshman class graduating in 2026 will be the first to graduate Yamaha certified and with the ability to have a U.S Coast Guard captain's license.
"People in Yamaha said Whittier Tech's advisory board and commitment from our industry partners is the best in the country that they've seen," Moskevitz said.
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