Sound Marine Skills, Inc. (SMS), is a non-profit adult education partnership between the Sound School Regional Vocational Aquaculture Center, Workforce Alliance, the Connecticut Maritime Coalition, the Connecticut Marine Trades Association and several area full-service marinas and boatyards.  SMS will bring career opportunities in marine technologies to recent high school graduates, under-employed and qualified unemployed adults at no cost to the trainee while addressing the maritime industry’s critical skilled labor shortages.  Employment opportunities include marinas serving recreational boating and noncommercial fishing, retail boat sales and marine equipment dealers, manufacturers, shipping companies, port operations and harbor development.  

Depending on the month instruction begins, the Program operates as an adult education evening program from September to June or as a full-time summer program during July and August focused on ABYC marine trades Certification program modules.  Following an introductory period of classroom instruction only, trainees begin paid internships at shoreline full service marinas.  Provisional Certification and personal sets of industry-standard tools required for independent field placements are awarded on completion of the required classroom and shop contact hours. Thereafter, Full Certification is awarded on completion of internship training, the required proficiency examination and receipt of a Letter of Satisfactory Employment from the internship supervisor.  Job placement services will follow.  Trainees will provide their own transportation.