ABYC Judges Marine Service Technology Competitions

The American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC), in partnership with Yamaha, Suzuki, Mercury, Honda and the National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA), participated in and judged Marine Service Technology competitions at the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference, held June 23 to 27 in Atlanta. This year saw the highest level of industry participation to date, with all major outboard engine manufacturers involved.

The annual conference recognizes and celebrates the nation’s top career and technical education students, featuring more than 110 competitions and more than 10,000 participants. In addition to marine technology, the event includes contests in welding, construction trades, manufacturing, transportation, health care, hospitality and more.

The Marine Service Technology competition includes individual hands-on labs and a written exam. ABYC developed two lab stations to evaluate competitors’ electrical knowledge. Bonicker and Dave Broadbent, ABYC senior director of business development, served as judges.

The conference concluded with an awards ceremony Friday night at State Farm Arena, where the top three finishers in each competition were honored on stage and presented with gold, silver and bronze medals.

For more information about the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference, visit www.nlsc.skillsusa.org. To learn more about ABYC’s resources for schools looking to establish or enhance marine service programs, visit www.teachboats.org.