Applications are open for two marine-based educational programs that are being offered free to Virgin Islands public school students and young adults, the Virgin Islands Professional Charter Association announced this week.
VIPCA offers Virgin Islanders a chance to participate in its Junior Sailing Summer Program, which teaches students, ages 13 to 17, how to sail Hobie Cats or IC24s.
The swimming portion takes place twice weekly at 2 p.m. from June 17 to July 12 at the St. Thomas Swimming Association pool, while the sailing segment held at the St. Thomas Yacht Club is Monday-Friday, 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., from July 15 to July 26, according to a VIPCA news release.
Land and sea sailing instruction includes understanding the parts of a boat, navigation skills, reading weather and conditions, safety basics, and plenty of sailing.
The Junior Sailing Summer Program is free to eligible public school students thanks to the annual $25,000 sponsorship by RapierMed, a local financial services, and venture capital firm, the release said.
Summer program participation opens the door to enrollment in the year-round IGY Marinas-sponsored after-school sailing program, held during public school term on Wednesdays from 4 to 6 p.m.
VIPCA is also offering to local youth its annual Marine Apprenticeship, which will take place from June 20 to July 19. Local young residents ages 18 to 29 who graduated from a local public high school are eligible for the program.
According to the release, the four-week program provides intensive captains and Standards of Training and Certification of Watch-keeping training, which includes First Aid and CPR certification; Sea Survival, and Firefighting.
The full apprenticeship schedule also includes swimming, SCUBA diving, sailing, and power-boating instruction; boating Safety certification; charter vessel and business operations; technical skills and proficiency in diesel engines and outboards; and an introduction to marine careers with various government departments.
“When the students work with us, we train them in basic seamanship and safety. We have them participate in drills such as fire and man overboard and we demonstrate the basic mechanical checks that we do before every voyage,” said Andy Thompson, lead captain at Ocean Surfari. “We are grateful to have an opportunity to contribute to the cause of mentoring and training our youth in the marine trade. A side benefit is to meet these young people who may soon be entering our field and be able to offer them a position. We have had great success with the graduates of this program and have enjoyed watching them grow and prosper.”
Sixty-five students have graduated from the Marine Apprenticeship program since it started in 2017, with 37 entering the V.I. marine industry workforce, the release said.
The Marine Apprenticeship program is free to participants, sponsored by the Island Foundation. All VIPCA-directed training programs are fiscally sponsored by the Marine Rebuild Fund within the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands, the release said.
VIPCA is recognized by the V.I. Labor Department as an Eligible Training Provider with a Registered Apprenticeship Program, which extends the training of VIPCA’s Marine Apprenticeship into a paid 12-month Marine Apprenticeship work placement. The mentorship and scholarship program supports the VIPCA Marine Apprenticeship graduates in careers as paid crew providing them necessary sea time to obtain their OUPV U.S. Coast Guard captain’s license, according to the release.
