Bruce in Alaska wrote:

These was a course being taught up in Seattle, at one of the Maritime
Schools for Marine Electronics Techs. When I lived in that area I did
Guest Lectures there. Was on the northeast side of the Ballard Bridge.

That program is no longer available but the school offers much more
nowadays.

http://www.seattlecentral.org/maritime/prog.php

I teach the steam classes and have taught the basic marine electricity
class in the past.

The best education in this field is by DOING, under the supervision of
an "Old Time Marine Electronics Tech" who has been in the business for
more than 15 years.

That just doesn't seem to happen anymore. Rare is the company that will
invest in an apprenticeship program of any sort. We used to carry two
electricians on ships but the second electrician is a thing of the past
now. On those ships which carry an electronics officer that berth is
usually filled by a former radio operator. Some of the union schools are
excellent but are not available to entry level personnel. My union
offers several courses with intensive practical lab and lecture classes
which include CET certification but they total many months of classes
and are only available to members who already hold unlimited CG licenses
and have an academic or practical background in the subject.

I wonder where the next generation of techs with a real marine
background will come from.

I am very curious about what ABYC is selling (for a very high price)
when a "graduate" says:

"I've taken AYBC electrical and NMEA installer certification courses ...
but would like to take a hands on seminar type marine electronics tech
course that goes into more depth than a users course."

What is that "certification" worth when the holder of the certificate
calls the training a "users course"?

Rick