Gain Real Experience Through IYRS’s Externship Program
At IYRS School of Technology & Trades, real-world experience is built into every full-time program. Our externship program bridges the gap between classroom learning and industry application, giving students the opportunity to apply their skills in a professional setting before graduation.
An externship at IYRS is not job shadowing. It's a short-term, hands-on experience where students work alongside experienced professionals in marine trades, advanced manufacturing, composites, or design environments with the goal of leading to full-time employment. These immersive experiences are essential to the IYRS approach—an educational model built on experiential learning and technical excellence.
Hands-on training is part of IYRS’s mission, and externships bring that mission to life in the real world. Whether you’re working in a boatyard, tech lab, or design shop, the skills you develop on-site are practical, marketable, and in demand. These externships shape careers, build confidence, and often lead to job offers even before graduation.
About the Externship
Each IYRS externship is a required component of the full-time programs and takes place near the end of the academic calendar, typically during the final month of instruction, or between years one and two for our Boatbuilding & Restoration program. These field-based learning experiences serve as a crucial bridge between the skills acquired in the shop and classroom and the expectations of professional settings. Students gain direct exposure to jobsite operations, client interaction, and employer expectations, reinforcing their technical and soft skills in real-world environments.
Externships last approximately four to six weeks and allow students to take on the expectations of a full-time position in their field of study. Students may contribute to production, restoration, troubleshooting, or fabrication tasks. The Career Development team, in collaboration with faculty, work alongside students to determine an externship that align with the student’s goals, skills, and future aspirations. IYRS maintains partnerships with more than 500 employers across the marine trades, composites, advanced manufacturing, and design sectors, giving students access to a national network of opportunity.
These externships are not only key résumé builders. They often lead directly to employment. Many employers view them as extended interviews and a chance to evaluate future hires in action. The externship also strengthens each student's ability to communicate, work within teams, manage projects, and adapt to evolving industry practices—skills that are essential for success across all of IYRS’s career paths.
Support During the Externship Process
Support during the externship process is robust and personalized. Career Development staff work with students individually throughout the process; offering resume writing, interview coaching, and support during the externship itself. Faculty stay connected to ensure that learning outcomes are being met and that students are transitioning smoothly and meeting workplace expectations. Post-externship, students receive feedback and are encouraged to reflect on their performance and growth.
Featured Externship Employers
IYRS collaborates with a diverse group of respected industry partners across the United States. These employers represent a wide spectrum of skilled trades, offering students exposure to real projects and potential long-term roles.
A sample of recent IYRS externship employers:
Alpine Vans (Conshohocken, PA)
American Yacht Restoration (Magnolia Park, FL)
Aquidneck Custom Composites (Bristol, RI)
Arey’s Pond Boatyard (South Orleans, MA)
Barton & Gray Mariners Club (North Stonington, CT)
Bayliss Boatworks (Wanchese, NC)
Bristol Marine (Bristol, RI; Somerset, MA; Boothbay, ME)
Calderwood Custom Millworks (Newport, RI)Cay Electronics (Portsmouth, RI)
Chris’ Electronics (Fairhaven, MA)
CMT Materials (Attleboro, MA)
Comet Skateboards (Bristol, RI)
Composite Energy Technologies (Bristol, RI)
Experience Design Studios (Providence, RI)
Fibreworks Composites (Mooresville, NC)
Foothills Marine (Morgantown, NC)
French & Webb (Belfast, ME)
Front Street Shipyard (Belfast, ME)
Gorilla Rigging (Middletown, RI)
Hinkley Yachts (RI, ME, & MD)
Historic New England (Boston, MA)
Huestis (Bristol, RI)
Lyman Morse (Thomaston & Camden, ME)
McMillen Yachts (Portsmouth, RI)
Metan Marine (Lakeville, MA)
Moore Brothers (Bristol, RI)
Mystic Seaport (Mystic, CT)
Newport Restoration Foundation (Newport, RI)
Newport Rigging Group (Newport, RI)
NYYC American Magic (Portsmouth, RI)
Outerlimits (Bristol, RI)
PDF Hawaii (Honolulu, HI)
R&D Technologies (North Kingstown, RI)
Safe Harbor Marinas
Sea & Land (Narragansett, RI)
Sea Education Association (Woods Hole, MA)
Seasats (San Diego, CA)
Shearwater Marine (Stuart, FL)
Shelter Island Marine Electronics (San Diego, CA)
Snediker Yacht Restoration (Pawcatuck, CT)
South Wharf Yacht Yard (Dartmouth, MA)
Strong’s Marine (Mattituck, NY)
Symmetrix (Bristol, RI)
The Center for Wooden Boats (Seattle, WA)
Willis Custom Yachts (Stuart, FL)
Wooden Boatworks (Greenport, NY)
World Ocean School (Boston, MA)
How the Externship Program Works
Career Outcomes & Student Success
Externships at IYRS aren’t just educational—they’re transformational.
More than 85% of IYRS graduates secure full-time employment in their field of study, and many receive job offers during or immediately after their externships. These immersive experiences offer a direct preview of life on the job, helping students refine their career goals and make lasting impressions with potential employers.
Externships give students the chance to apply their shop and classroom training in real-world environments, where expectations for quality, communication, and professionalism are high. This field-tested learning helps students build competitive résumés, cultivate professional networks, and walk away with confidence that they can thrive in fast-paced technical roles. For many, the externship is a first step into specialized industries such as marine systems, precision composites manufacturing, or digital fabrication and prototyping.
Success stories are common among IYRS alumni. Graduates have gone on to build careers at top-tier companies such as Lyman Morse, CET, Safe Harbor Marinas, Hinckley Yachts, and Fibreworks Composites. Others have joined cutting-edge startups or pursued self-employment as fabricators, CNC programmers, boatbuilders, or marine technicians. The consistency of these outcomes highlights the effectiveness of IYRS’s career-focused model.
The Career Development team at IYRS plays an essential role in these results, providing personalized career counseling, interview preparation, and employer matchmaking throughout each student’s journey. Their deep connections within the industry help create a smooth transition from externship to full-time employment.
Whether your goal is a job in a high-tech fabrication shop, a historic boatyard, or a design innovation lab, the path to that future starts with hands-on experience. At IYRS, your success isn’t just a possibility—it’s built into the program.
