For Immediate Release

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Susan Daly (401-848-5777, ext 220)
Cynthia Goss (203-453-2731)

IYRS to Launch Composites Technology Program in 2010

Full-Time Program to be Based at School's Teaching Facility in Bristol

Newport (R.I.) January 6, 2010 — The International Yacht Restoration School, with campuses in Newport and Bristol, will launch a full-time Composites Technology Program in 2010. IYRS' new program is the first of its kind in the rapidly growing composites field—due to its length, in-depth curriculum, and emphasis on teaching both hands-on practical skills and the theory behind the processes and applications of this fast-evolving technology. The program is targeted to meet the needs of the marine industry, but graduates will have a choice of career paths since the high strength-to-weight ratio of composite materials pioneered by boat builders is now in demand by many industries, including wind energy, aerospace, and transportation.  

"The Composites Technology Program rounds out our offerings as a technical training institute for the marine industry. The program uses the same in-depth, intensive educational model that has earned our programs an international reputation for excellence," said IYRS President Terry Nathan. "Technical experts agree that the marine industry's increased use of advanced composites can give birth to the type of innovative products that can reinvigorate the industry; the IYRS program is designed to attract and train the inventive practitioners who can help lead the way."

The Composites Technology Program will be offered at the school's teaching facility in Bristol (R.I.) beginning in September 2010. The nine-month program gives students a foundation in composites processes, techniques, and technology—ranging from general composites that employ glass fiber and polyester resin, to advanced composites that employ high-strength/high-modulus fibers and advanced resin systems. The program places a stronger emphasis on advanced composites, which are generally greener because they produce less emissions in the manufacturing process.

According to Bob Lacovara, former technical director of the American Composites Manufacturers Association and founder of Pennsylvania-based Convergent Composites who consulted with IYRS on the development of the program: "This program is absolutely unique—from the standpoint that it vertically integrates all the skills needed to move forward in the emerging composites industry."

To develop the program, IYRS formed an Industry Advisory Council comprised of 18 individuals with expertise in the marine industry, the composites industry, and general business. The committee includes representation from organizations such as the American Composites Manufacturers Association, the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation (RIEDC), and marine-industry leaders such as Hall Spars & Rigging and New England Boatworks.

“We are thrilled that the International Yacht Restoration School has developed an advanced composites program,” said Paul Harden, Manager, Business and Workforce Development at the RIEDC. “This program has an opportunity to benefit both the marine trades and other types of industries that use composites, such as wind blade manufacturing and transportation applications."

According to the American Composites Manufacturers Association, in the U.S. alone the composites industry employs about 550,000 people and generates almost $70 billion in revenues per year. The marine industry was a pioneer in the use of modern composites: Boat builders were experimenting with fiberglass construction as early as the 1930s and produced the first fiberglass boats in the '40s; in the '60s, the marine market was the largest consumer of composite materials. Today, a wide range of industries that manufacture structures that need to be light in weight yet strong, durable, and corrosion resistant use composites as a structural material—including the aerospace, wind energy, transportation, automotive, construction, and pipe & tank industries.

The IYRS program is being launched on the heels of a growth spurt in the composites industry. "I used to say composite construction was an infant industry. Now I say it's a raging teenager. Composites are really coming of age now because there is a need for humanity to reduce the mass of material that we use to build things—because we are running out," said Richard O'Meara of Rhode Island–based Core Composites, a composites industry veteran and advisor to the IYRS program who has collaborated on hundreds of advanced-composites projects in the marine sector and other areas.

The International Yacht Restoration School offers technical training for the marine industry through three full-time programs in Boatbuilding & Restoration, Marine Systems, and Composites Technology—complemented by shorter term Continuing Education courses. IYRS is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) and in 2008 was one of only five schools to receive the organization's School of Excellence designation.

IYRS' two locations in Newport and Bristol, Rhode Island, are uniquely suited to the programs offered at each locale: the waterfront campus in Newport, home to the Boatbuilding & Restoration program, includes two historic buildings from 1831 and 1903 and is the site of notable historic restorations, including the restoration of the rare 1885 schooner yacht Coronet; the Bristol teaching facility, home to the Marine Systems and Composites Technology programs, is based at the Franklin Street Marine Corridor, a recently developed industrial/educational complex where students mix with marine-industry companies. IYRS graduates from throughout North America, Europe, and Asia are highly regarded for their passion and craftsmanship skill and work with leading marine manufacturers and boatyards located around the world.

For more information on the IYRS Composites Technology Program, visit www.iyrscomposites.org. 

NOTE TO MEDIA: For more insight into the IYRS Composites Technology Program and its significance in both the marine industry and the composites field, visit the Press Release page of the IYRS Media Room to link to a question-and-answer interview with IYRS President Terry Nathan and composite-industry veterans Richard O'Meara and Bob Lacovara.