Open Position – Director of Education and Student Services

Join us in shaping the future of the marine industry workforce! Become part of a growing team in an expanding post-secondary marine training school.  Move your career to a new level by becoming the Director of Education and Student Services at Great Lakes Boat Building School (GLBBS). Located on Lake Huron in Cedarville, Michigan, the School has partnered with ABYC, Mercury Marine, Ilmor Engineering, and Volvo Penta to assure the best possible technical training to our students.

The official job description may be found here.

Qualifications/Education:

• Minimum of associate degree or higher required, bachelor’s degree preferred
• Minimum of 3 years teaching or training experience, or appropriate certification preferred
• At least 5 years experience in career, counseling, or post-secondary environment preferred
• Non-profit education or education leadership experience preferred
• Demonstrated ability to prepare and deliver a lesson
• Strong computer skills with experience in Google Suite
• Ability to work within a team management system
• Positive interpersonal skills along with professional and creative written and oral communication skills
• Ability to travel

Application Process

Submit your cover letter, resume, and list of three references to hr@glbbs.edu

Review of applications will begin as they are received. The search will be confidential, and references will not be contacted until the applicant has been notified.

GLBBS is an equal opportunity employer.

About Great Lakes Boat Building School

Great Lakes Boat Building School (GLBBS) is an accredited, non-profit 501 (c)3, private school located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. GLBBS produces qualified students from their Comprehensive Career Boat Building Program (CCBB) and the Marine Service Technology Program (MST).  The School addresses the shortage of skilled trades and craftspeople in the marine industry. For prospective student enrollment information go to glbbs.edu/admissions-aid/ or call 906.484.1081.

Great Lakes Boat Building School is a non-profit organization recognized as a charitable organization and is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges.

Great Lakes Boat Building School Receives USDA Grant Funding for Equipment Campaign

Cedarville, Michigan – The Board of Directors and leadership of Great Lakes Boat Building School (GLBBS) were recently notified of the approval of a $354,600 Rural Business Development Grant (RBDG) awarded by the United States Department of Agriculture. The school applied for the support as part of their “Enhancing Education with Equipment” (EEE) campaign, a top priority at GLBBS to provide their students with new marine equipment and technology for skilled trades training.

GLBBS is the only marine trades institution in the Great Lakes region. The grant funding comes at a very opportune time as GLBBS enrollment has increased to 29 students, the largest class in the school’s history.

New marine equipment and technology are required to deliver more advanced Mercury University certification levels. GLBBS would be the second marine trades institution in the country to offer this much needed training. The other institution is in Florida. Also, due to demand from the industry, GLBBS is offering industry relevant Ilmor Engineering and Volvo Penta diesel curriculum which requires additional specialized training. Graduates with these certifications will help address the dire workforce shortage in Michigan’s marine industry.

“Our entire team was absolutely thrilled when Tom Coates, our Director of Development received notification that our application scored well and was approved,” said Nikki Storey, GLBBS President. “With our growing enrollment and strong demand for our students in the marine industry we must have the best and newest equipment available to teach the latest techniques in maintenance, troubleshooting and repairs. We are so appreciative to the USDA for recognizing the need and supporting us.”

“It was a rigorous but rewarding process working with Holly Thomma, our Business Programs Specialist from the USDA’s Gladstone area office,” said Coates. “When we had questions prior to applying for the grant, Holly was always very responsive and helpful. It was a pleasure having her visit the school recently as we met about the grant processing procedures.”

To date, Volvo Penta, Ilmor Engineering, the Marine Leadership Alliance, Gage Marine, National Marine Distributors Association and Interstate Power Systems have provided in-kind or monetary support. Inquiries can be made at thomas.coates@glbbs.edu or by calling (906) 484-1081.

“One of the criteria USDA personnel consider during the application evaluation process is the percent of non-federal funding committed to the project,” said Brandon Fewins, USDA Rural Development State Director for Michigan. “Great Lakes Boat Building School is developing the type of public-private partnership with their donors and the USDA that supports the mission of Rural Development, to increase the economic well-being and quality of life for people and communities in rural Michigan.”

More information about Great Lakes Boat Building School and its programs can be found at www.glbbs.edu

Supporting this Record Breaking Class – Great Lakes Boat Building School recently received a $354,600 USDA Rural Business Development Grant to support the school’s Enhancing Education with Equipment Campaign. The campaign’s purpose is to acquire the latest in equipment and technology for students to prepare for employment in the marine industry. The support is timely as the school recently welcomed the largest class in its history for the 2023-24 school year.

About Great Lakes Boat Building School

GLBBS produces qualified students from their Comprehensive Career Boat Building Program (CCBB) and the Marine Service Technology Program (MST), in partnership with Mercury Marine University, with a consistent 100% placement rate.  The School addresses the shortage of skilled trades and craftspeople in the marine industry following graduation. For prospective student enrollment information go to glbbs.edu/admissions-aid/ or call 906.484.1081.

Information about the “Enhancing Education with Equipment” campaign is available by contacting Tom Coates, Director of Development at thomas.coates@glbbs.edu or by calling 906.484.1081.

Great Lakes Boat Building School is a non-profit organization recognized as a charitable organization and is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges.

Volvo Penta Donation Provides Training Opportunity for GLBBS Students

Cedarville, Michigan – August 24th, 2023 – If you were to ask students at Great Lakes Boat Building School (GLBBS) what attracted them to pursue a marine-trades education two answers always float to the top – a love for the water and a desire to work with their hands.

GLBBS is known for providing exceptional hands-on training through their Comprehensive Career Boat Building and Marine Service Technology Programs. Over the course of twelve months, students train on everything from building and repairing, to how to drive and dock a boat. Students graduate with a strong educational foundation and certifications that give them a leg up in establishing a career in the marine industry.

The GLBBS Staff and Board work with leading marine companies to understand the types of training these future employers will need students to gain. Through these partnerships, instructors build or update the educational curriculum to ensure that student’s training is up-to-date with industry needs. To achieve this level of training, GLBBS partners with marine companies who provide the equipment being used in today’s industry. As a non-profit, these donations go a long way in supporting the school’s goal to provide an excellent marine education in a cost effective manner.

With great excitement, the GLBBS students and instructors recently received a large equipment donation from Volvo Penta, a leading supplier of engines and power systems for leisure and commercial boats and industrial applications. The donation included a brand new Volvo Penta V8 430 – a gasoline sterndrive engine which included the electronic vessel control system and digital gauge. The other engine, a KAMD44 Diesel, was used for training by Volvo Penta and will be vital in helping GLBBS start their new diesel program. Matt Edmondson, Lead Instructor at GLBBS, says these engines will provide great opportunities in maintenance, troubleshooting, and other general training for students.

Volvo Penta Supports Student Training at GLBBS with Equipment Donation – GLBBS students are all smiles while checking out the engines donated by Volvo Penta to the Marine Service Technology Program at Great Lakes Boat Building School.

This is just the first step for GLBBS in their partnership with Volvo Penta, which they say will continue to grow in the upcoming years.  “We have Volvo Penta dealer access and are able to assign Technician ID numbers for the students. This gives them access to online training courses and information that counts towards Volvo Penta gasoline or diesel certifications.” says Edmondson, “Eventually we will be able to offer the full certification courses here at GLBBS.”

“Skilled technicians are essential to the boating lifestyle. The work they do keeps boats on the water and customer satisfaction levels high, but it’s our role as manufacturers to make sure they have the tools and training needed to be successful,” said Magnus Gedda, Director of Competence Development for Volvo Penta North America. “We applaud GLBBS for their efforts in providing a hands-on educational experience and look forward to the journey ahead as we work together to develop the next-generation of Volvo Penta marine technicians.”

For those wanting to learn more about the Great Lakes Boat Building School in Cedarville, tours are offered throughout the summer on Friday afternoons at 2pm. More information can be found online at www.glbbs.edu.

About Great Lakes Boat Building School

GLBBS produces qualified students from their Comprehensive Career Boat Building Program (CCBB) and the Marine Service Technology Program (MST), in partnership with Mercury Marine University, with a consistent 100% placement rate.  The School addresses the shortage of skilled trades and craftspeople in the marine industry following graduation. For prospective student enrollment information go to www.admissions@glbbs.org or call 906.484.1081.

Information about the “GLBBS Marine Dealer Education Network” is available by contacting Tom Coates, Director of Development at thomas.coates@glbbs.edu or by calling 906.484.1081.

Great Lakes Boat Building School is a non-profit organization recognized as a charitable organization and is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges.

Great Lakes Boat Building School Receives “Truckload of Support” from Ilmor Engineering

PRESS RELEASE – March 2023

Great Lakes Boat Building School Receives “Truckload of Support” from Ilmor Engineering

Cedarville, MI – Ilmor, headquartered in Plymouth, Michigan, recently donated and delivered a truckload of educational and technical supplies along with Ilmor marine engines. The equipment will expand the hands-on learning horizons of the Marine Service Technology students at Great Lakes Boat Building School (GLBBS).  Currently, GLBBS faculty are becoming certified by Ilmor training professionals to facilitate the delivery of the “Ilmor University” curriculum at the school in Cedarville.  

Mario Illien and Paul Morgan sent a letter to Roger Penske proposing a new company to build turbocharged engines for the IndyCar series. Within three months, they gained Mr. Penske’s support and Ilmor Engineering was born. After decades of success in different racing series, such as IndyCar, NASCAR, and ARCA, in 2002 Ilmor began making waves by entering the high-performance marine world.  

The company began building race engines for the “SuperCat” Offshore Racing Series of the American Power Boat Association.  Since then, Ilmor’s marine division has become a well-established supplier to the global marine market, providing engines for brands like Aviara, Formula, Stancraft, and exclusively for MasterCraft since 2011. The engines are built in their 50,000 ft^2 facility in Mooresville, NC and Ilmor will be surpassing 40,000 engines sold in the year 2023.

Great Day at Great Lakes Boat Building School – Walter Honeycutt, Corporate Trainer, Ilmor Engineering (upper left in cap) serves as guest instructor demonstrating diagnostic techniques on an Ilmor engine to the marine service technology class at GLBBS. The excitement by the students could not be contained as they helped set up the equipment in the shop.

“Our graduates are encountering Ilmor’s outstanding offering of marine engines in their work at marine dealers around the country. So much so, that several are being sent by employers for Ilmor training at the Mooresville facility to enhance their professional development,” said Nikki Storey, President, Great Lakes Boat Building School. “An educational partnership with Ilmor Engineering has been on our wish list for quite some time because our students need to know how to work on their equipment as they encounter it on the job. The Ilmor team has been absolutely phenomenal to work with and we are blown away by their generosity and support. They are just great people to grow our training alongside.”

Not only has Ilmor donated the equipment and engines, they hosted the entire GLBBS student body along with instructors and staff members at their Plymouth headquarters last month. The feedback from the students was resoundingly positive.

“We have enjoyed the opportunity to interact with Nikki and the members of her leadership team and are impressed with their industry-leading curriculum in preparing students with real-world technical expertise,” said Mike Lindberg, Vice President – Marine at Ilmor Engineering.  “Donating the supplies was the least we could do to showcase our belief in not only the school, but its students and what they’ve already been able to produce. We’ve worked diligently on an Ilmor program of study to coincide with the donated materials that we’re certain will make the students, even more, sought after upon their graduation.”

It is evident that this “truckload” of generosity will generate a “boatload” of learning experiences for years to come at Great Lakes Boat Building School, having a far-reaching and positive rippling wave throughout the marine industry.

GLBBS produces qualified students from their Comprehensive Career Boat Building Program (CCBB) and the Marine Service Technology Program (MST), in partnership with Mercury Marine University, with a consistent 100% placement rate.  The School addresses the shortage of skilled trades and craftspeople in the marine industry following graduation. For prospective student enrollment information go to www.admissions@glbbs.org or call 906.484.1081. 

Information about supporting GLBBS is available by contacting Tom Coates, Director of Development at thomas.coates@glbbs.edu or https://glbbs.edu/support/ also by calling 906.484.1081.  

Great Lakes Boat Building School is a non-profit organization recognized as a charitable organization and is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges.

Great Lakes Boat Building School Garners Bank’s Support

PRESS RELEASE – December 2022

Great Lakes Boat Building School Garners Bank’s Support

Cedarville, MI – The Board of Directors of First National Bank of St. Ignace recently approved a donation of $10,000 in support of the Great Lakes Boat Building School (GLBBS) “Come Aboard, Launch Careers” capital campaign to expand the instructional infrastructure at the Cedarville-based marine trades institution.

The school embarked on a capital campaign in December 2021 to secure $1.1 million to fund associated fixtures, equipment and the required 20% match for the $2.7 million U.S. EDA grant that was formally approved earlier this year. A ceremonial groundbreaking was held on October 1st with construction planned to commence for the 10,000 square foot marine trades training facility in the second quarter of 2023.

This expansion of the GLBBS instructional infrastructure is in direct response to the needs of the marine industry. The structure will facilitate instruction with hands-on skills training in marine service and marine electronics technologies. The new Marine Electronic Technology program will be the first of its kind in the nation.

The project also includes new docking and waterfront improvements along with interior student life improvements like a student commons area. The project aligns positively with the institution’s strategic plan to double student enrollment.

“We are so humbled that so many donors including First National Bank of St. Ignace share our vision for the growth of the school and the positive impact more students will have on the Les Cheneaux Islands community,” said Nikki Storey, GLBBS President. “The bank is an outstanding corporate partner that understands the importance of reinvesting in the communities it serves.”

FNB – SI Support Banked – Jim North, Chief Executive Officer of First National Bank – St. Ignace, (right) makes a presentation to Great Lakes Boat Building School Board Chairman Joe Reid (left) and President Nikki Storey in the amount of $10,000 at the bank’s Cedarville branch. The Eastern U.P. based community bank supported the school’s campaign to double its instructional footprint.

The Comprehensive Career Boat Building Program has been offered since the school’s establishment in 2006 when local residents had the vision to foster the steeped wooden boat building and restoration heritage of the area with a school. In 2019, based on a recommendation by its Program Advisory Board GLBBS introduced its Marine Service Technology Program including an exclusive partnership with Mercury Marine. Both programs have recently generated a 100% placement rate of its graduates.

“Our board and leadership have been impressed with the school’s growth and vision over the years,” said Jim North, Chief Executive Officer, First National Bank of St. Ignace. “To have a local economic driver like GLBBS just down the street from our Cedarville branch made it a priority for us to support this campaign.”

The First National Bank of St. Ignace’s main banking office is located on North State Street in the Eastern U.P. community existing in the same block for over 130 years. The bank operates six branch offices in the eastern Upper Peninsula including Mackinac Island, Cedarville, Naubinway, Newberry and two full-service branches in the St. Ignace area.

GLBBS produces qualified students from their Comprehensive Career Boat Building Program (CCBB) and the Marine Service Technology Program (MST), in partnership with Mercury Marine University, with a consistent 100% placement rate. The School addresses the shortage of skilled trades and craftspeople in the marine industry following graduation. For prospective student enrollment information go to https://glbbs.edu/admissions-aid or call 906.484.1081.

Information about the “Come Aboard…Launch Careers” capital campaign or the “Fill in the Planks” program is available by contacting Tom Coates, Director of Development at thomas.coates@glbbs.edu or https://glbbs.edu/support also by calling 906.484.1081.

Great Lakes Boat Building School is a non-profit organization recognized as a charitable organization and is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges.

Nikki Storey: 2022 Darlene Briggs Marine Woman of the  Year

PRESS RELEASE – December 2022

Nikki Storey: 2022 Darlene Briggs Marine Woman of the  Year

Minneapolis, MN – Nikki Storey, President of the Great Lakes Boat Building School has been named the 2022 Darlene Briggs Marine Woman of the Year, announced the MRAA Educational Foundation. The Award was presented to Storey, the thirty-sixth recipient, as part of the Dealer Week Award’s Luncheon on Wednesday December 7th in Austin, Texas.

Nikki didn’t grow up in the boating industry or on the water, but as the “Can Do Kid”, an endearing label her grandfather Otto gave her, she’s making waves far beyond her small-town Michigan roots. As President of the Great Lakes Boat Building School (GLBBS) since 2020, she leads a team of professionals committed to providing students with exceptional, hands-on instruction focused on developing the broad knowledge and skills required for careers in the maritime industry. The school’s mission is to “prepare students for rewarding careers in the marine industry” with the vision “to be the leader in marine workforce development”. The school has posted a 100% graduate employer placement rate for the past five-years.

A native of Pickford, Michigan, Nikki graduated from Lake Superior State University with a BS in Business Administration with a concentration in Management and Human Resources. Her professional career began at her university and later at War Memorial Hospital. Since setting sail at GLBBS in 2015, she hasn’t looked back, quickly rising from Business Manager to Executive Director a year later, to her current leadership role. She championed the school through a national accreditation process which facilitated Federal Title IV, HEA financial aid opportunities for students, added the Marine Service Technology program in 2019 and forging a partnership with Mercury University to offer Mercury Marine Service Certification. In addition, GLBBS now offers the opportunity to test for ABYC Certifications along with teaching the hands-on skills development component.

Her goals moving forward are to continue to expand industry relationships with manufacturers, dealers and marinas as well as to seek more GLBBS students by expanding the facility and doubling their ability to prepare students for the marine industry and building an enhanced pipeline of talent.

In her application, Nikki shared, “This is the most positive impact our school can have – transforming students’ lives and helping to address the biggest challenge the marine industry is currently facing now and in the long-term.”

The Darlene Briggs Marine Woman of the Year Award is named after the late Darlene Briggs of Wayzata, Minn., who was admired for her tireless dedication to the marine industry. The MRAA and Boating Industry magazine together present the award to honor her memory. It is presented annually to an outstanding woman who is actively involved in the marine industry at any level. It recognizes long and devoted service, untiring commitment, and the advancement of women in the marine business.

“Nikki Storey’s commitment to the advancement of the marine industry makes her an obvious choice for this year’s Darlene Briggs Marine Woman of the Year Award”, said Jeff Siems, Chairman of the MRAA Educational Foundation Board of Directors.

About MRAA Educational Foundation

As part of its mission to create a strong and healthy boating industry, the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas is committed to offering training, education and professional development opportunities to its members and the entire marine dealer community. In 2004, the association launched the MRAA Educational Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)3 corporation, to provide financial support for education, training, and professional development in the recreational marine trades. For more information or to donate to support the foundation’s mission, visit www.marineedfoundation.org.

About GLBBS GLBBS produces qualified students from their Comprehensive Career Boat Building Program (CCBB) and the Marine Service Technology Program (MST), in partnership with Mercury Marine University, with a consistent 100% placement rate.  The School addresses the shortage of skilled trades and craftspeople in the marine industry following graduation. For prospective student enrollment information go to www.admissions@glbbs.org or call 906.484.1081.

Information about the “Come Aboard…Launch Careers” capital campaign is available by contacting Tom Coates, Director of Development at thomas.coates@glbbs.edu or https://glbbs.edu/support/ also by calling 906.484.1081.

Great Lakes Boat Building School is a non-profit organization recognized as a charitable organization and is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges.