IYRS School of Technology & Trades
Training Students for Rewarding, Hands-On Careers Since 1993

NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND

A Skilled Trade Education at IYRS is the Beginning of a Rewarding, Successful Career 

Do you want a career that engages your hands AND your mind? Are you looking for a professional future where you can see the results of your work unfold in front of you each day?  

As a premier, non-profit trade school, IYRS has been training students for successful careers in the maritime trades and modern manufacturing for more than 25 years. With immersive, hands-on programs and a 90% career placement rate, IYRS students learn, grow, build, explore, and launch exciting new careers in just 6-20 months.

IYRS offers 4 nationally-accredited programs on our Newport, RI campus:

  • Boatbuilding & Restoration
  • Composites Technology
  • Digital Modeling & Fabrication
  • Marine Systems

Request information today and find out why Newsweek named IYRS one of the Best Maker Schools in the world and why more than 800 companies seek to hire IYRS graduates. 

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IYRS offers generous scholarships and grants to students who qualify.

IYRS: A Trade School Unlike Any Other

Boatbuilding & Restoration

 

Boatbuilding & Restoration 

The ACCSC-accredited Boatbuilding & Restoration program will train you in the complete wooden boatbuilding process where you'll learn from expert woodworkers and boatbuilders and work alongside fellow craftspeople at the edge of Newport Harbor.

No prior boatbuilding or woodworking experience is necessary, but a passion for working with your hands to restore and create is. You will have the incredible experience of restoring an historic wooden boat to the water in each year of the program. Boatbuilding & Restoration sets up students to thrive as highly skilled craftspeople and woodworkers in today’s job market. 

Composites Technology

 

Composites Technology 

In this immersive, ACCSC-accredited program, you will learn to design and build with some of the lightest, strongest materials on earth including carbon fiber and fiberglass. In 6 months, you'll be trained to become a Certified Composites Technician, prepared for an exciting career in industries from maritime to aerospace to sporting goods to wind energy and beyond.

This is a hands-on program where students learn and build each day, experiencing the excitement of executing increasingly more sophisticated projects which culminate in their own capstone project. Recent capstones have included everything from surfboards to custom car components. 

Digital Modeling & Fabrication

Digital Modeling & Fabrication

The ACCSC-accredited Digital Modeling & Fabrication is an immersive experience in industrial design. The program begins with an exploration of design thinking concepts, hand sketching, and design prototyping on manual tools and machines.  Progressing, students will learn and become proficient in using industry-aligned 3D modeling software including SOLIDWORKS®, Rhino, and Fusion360.

Students will learn to fabricate their designs using additive manufacturing technology like 3D printers, and subtractive manufacturing technology including laser cutters and CNC mills, lathes, and routers. As students advance, they continue to deepen their skills for translating design ideas into physical products. Students work with a variety of materials including plastics, advanced SLA resins, thermoforming plastic, metal, composites, and wood, and gain exposure to microprocessing.

Marine Systems

Marine Systems 

Do you want to turn your love of boating and being on the water into a rewarding career? IYRS’s hands-on Marine Systems program will prepare you to seamlessly enter the marine industry in just 6 months.

In the Marine Systems program, you’ll learn the theory and technologies of both stand-alone and fully-integrated boat systems and the inner workings of a powerboat down to the most meticulous details. By the time you graduate, you’ll be able to install, repair, and troubleshoot everything from outboard and diesel engines to electrical systems to computer-based electronics and hydraulics. You will sit for valuable certifications from ABYC, NMEA, and Yamaha as part of the program.

A Trade School Committed To Your Success

Our faculty are just as technically skilled as they are caring and committed. They're here to help you learn both in the classroom and on the shop floor. And you’ll learn from your classmates, whose diversity and background in all walks of life ensure there's always a new perspective to gain.

IYRS places a high value on teamwork. You'll learn the power of working together from others who have a similar approach to education and a shared love for hands-on learning. You'll become adept at using the resources around you to analyze, plan, and build. You'll push yourself to succeed, and no matter what academic or working background you come from, we'll equip you with the tools you need.

Our students are aspiring craftspeople, designers, makers, and technicians who come to IYRS to learn advanced craftsmanship and technical skills to create successful careers and richer lives. IYRS students go on to careers across a wide range of industries, including yacht building, historic restoration, fine furniture making, wind energy, aerospace, consumer goods prototyping, sporting goods manufacturing, and more.