American Maritime Holdings Chief to Present Keynote Address at WorkBoat’s Biloxi Summit

Portland, Maine (PRWEB) March 28, 2014

WorkBoat, the leading provider of news for the U.S. workboat industry, will feature Michael Torrech, CEO of American Maritime Holdings, and Steve Greene of NCCR as keynote presenters at its new Regional Summit: Shipyards: A Vision for the Future in Biloxi, Miss., on April 1.

According to CareerBuilder's Talent Crunch 2012 Study, over 33% of employers reported that despite an abundant labor pool, they still have positions available but cannot find qualified candidates to fill them. In the shipbuilding and ship repair industry, many yards and facilities struggle to identify a talent pool to fill the increasing open requisitions for ship fitters, welders and other skilled maritime craft professionals. The solution to the ever-widening skills gap lies in a commitment to training and inspiring a new generation to build the future.

The maritime industry must find ways to recruit, train and retain skilled craft professionals. Although workforce development is a familiar term used within the industry, it is often used interchangeably with “training” alone. Unfortunately, this leaves other factors that are essential to a strong workforce development program out of the picture. Image enhancement, recruitment and certification are all critical components of a robust workforce development program.

NCCER and NMEC are working together on a mission to narrow the skills gap by guiding America’s youth and displaced workers into opportunities for advanced education and training that lead to long-term rewarding careers in the maritime industry.

The keynote presentation will specifically address workforce solutions, standardized curricula and training, image enhancement, and recruitment efforts – the building and retaining of a strong workforce and how education and industry can work together to narrow the skills gap.

About the Speakers
Steve Greene, vice president, NCCER
Greene currently serves as vice president of NCCER (originally known as the National Center for Construction Education and Research). He has over 30 years of construction management experience (superintendent, project manager, director of human resources and senior director of global workforce development) with three major international contractors – Fluor, KBR and Bechtel. Steve has been the COO and owner of an industrial construction services company and has been the vice president of operations with two post-secondary career college systems.

Michael Torrech, CEO, American Maritime Holdings
Torrech, one of the founders of American Maritime Holdings (AMH), was named CEO in 2012. As CEO, Torrech is actively engaged in the strategic growth, operations, and success of AMH and its holdings. He has mentored presidents and management leaders of successful ship repair businesses within the Hampton Roads region through the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 8(a) Mentor-Protégé program. Torrech is also one of the founders of National Maritime Education Council (NMEC).

To register for the Summit, which will be held at the Beau Rivage Resort and Casino, visit http://www.workboat.com/regional-summit-biloxi.aspx. Advance Registration is $195. Onsite registration is $220.

The event will be held in conjunction with the Gulf States Shipbuilding Consortium’s Seventh Annual Conference, Workforce Development: A Time for Change, April 1-3, 2014. A complete agenda for the GSSC Annual Conference can be found at: http://gsship.org/gssc-2014-annual-conference/2014-agenda/.

About WorkBoat
WorkBoat is part of the Diversified Business Communications portfolio of commercial marine events, publications and e-media products. The WorkBoat brand has been connecting qualified buyers with leading suppliers for more than 45 years. In print through WorkBoat magazine, online at WorkBoat.com, face-to-face at the International WorkBoat Show and through education with the Professional Series, WorkBoat delivers high quality information to all segments of the marine industry in North America. For more information, visit http://www.workboat.com.

The WorkBoat Professional Series provides the marine industry professionals with a way to stay on top of what's going on in the workboat industry and its outlook for 2014 and beyond — from business management to marine industry specific topics.

About Diversified Communications
Diversified Communications, based in Portland, Maine, provides information and market access through face-to-face events, publications and eMedia. Diversified serves a number of industries including: seafood, food service, natural and organic, healthcare, commercial marine, and business management. Diversified operates divisions in Australia, Hong Kong, India, the UK and Canada. For more information, visit: http://www.divcom.com.

About the Gulf States Shipbuilders Consortium
With 78 members consisting of shipbuilders, suppliers, economic developers, and educational partners from organizations along the Gulf Coast, GSSC focuses on workforce development issues facing the industry. Its mission is to promote increased productivity and improved competitiveness in the gulf coast shipbuilding industry. GSSC was founded in 2006.

For more information on Gulf States Shipbuilders Consortium, visit http://www.gsship.org.

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