Each year, approximately 85 million Americans take to the water for boating, fueling a vibrant industry that has seen its economic impact soar by 35% between 2018 and 2023. This thriving sector supports over 800,000 jobs and powers 36,000 businesses nationwide.
The fast-growing marine industry relies on a highly skilled workforce of technicians, manufacturers, and engineers. However, employers are facing challenges in finding enough skilled technicians to keep up with demand. Jobs in the marine industry grew by 17% from 2018 to 2023.
The American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC), a member-driven nonprofit standards organization, has been working to close this skills gap with education and training initiatives. These efforts include a Marine Service Technician credential that connects industry and education by measuring skills needed for an entry-level position.
Marine Technician Certification Measures Essential Skills
Marine technicians must have a broad and diverse skill set. Recreational boats involve complex and interconnected systems, including hydraulics, refrigeration, internal combustion engines, plumbing, and electrical. The professionals who service boats must be able to handle a wide range of tasks—from wiring circuits to servicing outboard engines.
The Marine Technician Certification assessment consists of 113 questions and measures factual and theoretical knowledge across key areas, including:
- Boat Handling and General Safety Practices
- Internal Combustion Engine Theory
- Marine Electrical System Theory, Installation, and Troubleshooting
- Outboard Engine Maintenance and Troubleshooting
- Gasoline Fueled Inboard Engine Maintenance and Troubleshooting
- Perform Basic Diesel Maintenance
- Marine Plumbing Systems
- Marine Materials: Wood, Metal, and Composites
This credential is ideal for secondary and postsecondary education programs and complements ABYC’s curriculum and educational resources. Schools interested in enhancing their marine service programs by offering this credential should consider becoming an ABYC-affiliated school. Benefits include access to ABYC standards and discounts on curriculum and online learning.
Certification Aligns Industry Needs with Career & Technical Education
ABYC has already developed a roster of professional certifications with Nocti Business Solutions (NBS), and the Marine Service Technician is the organization’s first entry-level certification.
“We really saw the need to catch people coming into the industry from the very beginning,” said Tim Murphy, Education Director for ABYC. “There were a few marine-related programs in schools, but they had nothing in common with each other and were not based on a consistent standard. We decided to create a curriculum appropriate for high school programs, which led to a need for a high-quality certification.”
NOCTI and its sister organization, NBS, are nationally recognized assessment developers with a long history of creating technical assessments. The certification development process began with a rigorous workshop involving the ABYC team and subject matter experts. During this workshop, the team reviewed ABYC’s standards and identified the essential skills required for success in an entry-level position. With the guidance of a NOCTI/NBS psychometrician, the team then wrote the individual test questions. From the outset, industry experts played a crucial role in ensuring that this credential accurately reflects the skills employers seek.
NOCTI/NBS Lends Third-Party Validation and Credibility
Working with an independent third party like NOCTI/NBS adds an extra layer of credibility to the certification process. NOCTI/NBS is an organization accredited to ISO 17024 standards and is well-regarded for developing high-quality assessments.
“Our partnership with NOCTI/NBS has been wonderful,” said Murphy. “It gives our certifications the stamp of approval from a recognized third-party with a reputation for developing high-quality credentials and helps strengthen the connection between education and industry.”
ABYC has plans to develop additional certifications, and we look forward to supporting their commitment to providing technical education, training, certification, and professional development for marine technicians.
Partner With NOCTI/NBS for Industry Credentials
NOCTI/NBS is proud to work with industry partners like ABYC to develop credentials that are driven by industry needs. Bridging the gap between industry and education is essential in ensuring that students gain the skills necessary for success in their chosen careers. As a national leader in career and technical education (CTE) credentialing solutions and resources, NOCTI/NBS has been a steadfast partner in advancing the CTE community’s efforts to strengthen America’s workforce for over 55 years. Contact us with questions about credential development or to explore a customized solution tailored to meet your needs.
About ABYC
Since 1954, the nonprofit American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC) has developed safety standards for boat design, construction, equipment, repair, and maintenance. The essential global source of marine industry technical information, ABYC’s product safety standards, credentialing, education, training, and other tools help members make boating safer.
About NOCTI/NBS
NOCTI is the leading provider of industry credentials and resources for CTE programs with more than 55 years of experience in developing, managing, and delivering credential programs to improve and advance the technical education community.
Nocti Business Solutions (NBS) is NOCTI’s sister organization and provides professional skills assessments and workforce solutions to businesses. They help build skilled workforces through pre-employment testing, technical skills assessments, and certification development.