Premier Trade School Programs in Newport, Rhode Island for Hands-On Learning
IYRS School of Technology & Trades is where craftsmanship meets career. As a premier post-secondary, non-profit school, IYRS offers four ACCSC-accredited, programs that range in duration from 6 to 20 months.
Our students are aspiring craftspeople, designers, makers, builders, and technicians who come to IYRS to learn the hands-on and technology skills they'll use to build successful careers and richer lives.
Boatbuilding & Restoration
Accredited 20 month program | Enrolls in September
Master the craft of boatbuilding and marine woodworking through our twenty-month ACCSC accredited Boatbuilding & Restoration program. You'll experience every element of the boat restoration and build process, from lofting (drafting the boat design) to launching your restored wooden yacht from the school's marina in Newport Harbor. You'll become equipped for career success through a curriculum packed with daily hands-on learning, team-based historic boat restorations, and relevant classroom education. The program includes an industry externship after the first year and culminates in the launch of your restored wooden yacht in both year 1 and year 2.
We believe the best way to learn is through doing. At the start of your program, you'll ground yourself in the foundational elements of shop safety and tool and machine use before embarking on a team-based historic boat restoration project. In year one, you'll work with your team to measure, loft, build, finish and finally - launch - a catboat you've restored into Newport Harbor. Our students regularly describe Launch Day as one of the most important days of their lives.
Year two will further develop your fine woodworking, boatbuilding, and professional skills through full project management of your second boat restoration. You'll improve and advance your craftsmanship skills and end the year with a robust portfolio of your real-world experience and the pride in knowing you’ve returned two historic wooden yachts to the water during your time at IYRS.
Composites Technology
Accredited 9 month program | Enrolls September
This 9 month program will equip you with proficiency and deep hands-on experience in advanced composites skills with a focus on carbon fiber, highly desirable for today’s exploding modern manufacturing industry. You will gain an immersive introduction to 2D and 3D design and will learn a broad range of composites manufacturing methods which are critical to industries from yacht building to sporting goods to prosthetic and medical devices to aerospace and beyond. The need for certified Composites professionals has never been greater and this program is built to train students for successful careers.
In Composites Technology, you will learn not only how to design and build with advanced composites like carbon fiber, fiberglass, and others, but also the chemistry behind how these materials work. As you learn to work with advanced composite materials through project-based learning — from mold making to vacuum infusion and beyond — you'll be prepared to become a Certified Composites Technician. This industry certification, in addition to your personal capstone project and month-long industry externship, will provide you with the skills to embark on a career as an in-demand composites technician in some of the world's most exciting industries.
Digital Modeling & Fabrication
Accredited 9 month program | Enrolls in September
Craft and technology intersect in our Digital Modeling & Fabrication program. If you have a curiosity about product design and innovative manufacturing, you'll be poised for success with your education from this unique program. Through this ACCSC accredited nine-month course, you'll learn design thinking and the basics of design using leading 3D modeling software, and how to bring your designs to life using modern manufacturing tools like commercial 3D printers, milling machines, CNC routers, and lathes.
After immersing yourself in hands-on learning, you'll put your skills to work. Alongside expert teachers and a team of fellow students, you'll design and build a capstone project of your choice where your passion guides the project. This program concludes with a month-long industry externship, giving you the opportunity to build valuable professional relationships and resume building experience to launch your new career.
Marine Systems
Accredited 6 month program | Enrolls in September & March
Our ACCSC-accredited 6 month Marine Systems program equips you with the tools and training you need to become an in-demand marine technician. You'll learn the details of both stand-alone and fully-integrated boat systems, gaining not just cursory knowledge but hands-on competency in the inner workings of a powerboat. By the conclusion of the course, you'll be prepared to install, repair, and troubleshoot all aspects of a boat’s systems, from engine to electrical to hydraulics to plumbing. Key elements of the program are the build of your own simulation panel that replicates these systems as well as immersion into maintenance and repair of diesel and outboard engines. These program elements, with your one-month industry externship, will prepare you to turn your love of boats into a career as an in-demand marine technician.
AUGUST 2021 - NEWSWEEK NAMES IYRS SCHOOL OF TECHNOLOGY & TRADES ONE OF THE BEST MAKER SCHOOLS IN THE WORLD
Newsweek has named IYRS one of the Best Maker Schools in the world for 2021. Winners of this prestigious award are institutions of higher education that have curricula that encourages learning by doing; are supported by educators committed to collaborative problem-solving; have well-developed makerspaces, labs, and studios; and which support diverse, interactive communities that engage in knowledge and skill sharing. The award highlights institutions with innovative programs that demonstrate the ingenuity and community engagement that are hallmarks of the maker movement.