About Us

It started in 2005

Marine Trades Institute was established under the name “Great Lakes Boat Building School.” The school, located in Michigan’s Eastern Upper Peninsula in the Les Cheneaux Islands, is situated in one of the wooden boat capitals of the nation. Local wooden boat enthusiasts wanted to keep the tradition and skills of wooden boat building alive, thus beginning a trade school which focused solely on wooden boats. In 2006, a 12,000 square foot facility was built and the first student enrolled that fall.

Discover More About Marine Trades Institute

Mission and Vision
In the News
Events

Mission

Marine Trades Institute prepares students for rewarding careers in the marine industry.

Vision

To be the leader in marine workforce development in the Great Lakes region.

Articles

Click here

Press Releases

click here

Stem 2 Stern

click here

Prospective Student Events

Check out Marine Trades Institute, meet with staff and instructors, and learn about becoming a student!

Crafted for a Cause

When: Friday, August 22, from 6PM to 9PM at the Les Cheneaux Distillers

Les Cheneaux Events

See what is happening in the local area!

Search here

Amazing Alumni

At the school, we learned about the marine industry on a daily basis through hands-on training, industry standard certifications, and homework assignments. So many resources were available along with the program structure that being able to transition and manage the workload in my new position was doable.

What was most beneficial was a variety of factors; professionally, it would be the network GLBBS can integrate you into: employers, manufacturers, boatbuilders, organizations, etc. Personally, I thought that it was the perfect environment to personally challenge myself but have all the necessities to focus on the goal to become a desirable hire in the marine industry, learn and have fun while doing so. The most important thing for me was becoming acquainted with the overall boat construction process which led to learning about the technicalities of any system in the boat. What was most valuable was meeting people with a similar passion, learning from their experiences, and sharing our knowledge with one another.

Cody Gall | ‘23 Marine Service Technology | Tiara Yachts

Request Information