NPHS Marine Trades students show off skills during Congressional visit

In a visit that aimed to highlight the future of Rhode Island’s marine trades and manufacturing workforce, Congressman Gabe Amo spoke with students in North Providence High School’s Marine Trades CTE program about their boatbuilding work last week.
“This is amazing ... the level of expertise,” the congressman said after speaking with a group of students. “You’re teaching me a thing or two.”
The first of its kind in the state, the pathway approved in 2019 comes with OHSA 10 training and the potential for a future career with Electric Boat.

Mayor Charles Lombardi noted he was approached with the idea to start a marine trades program several years ago.

“We gave it a shot,” he said. “It’s been very successful.”

“I want to thank all of those who brought this program here,” Lombardi said.

“We’ve already gotten a few students jobs in the marine trades.”

“That’s why I think CTE is so important in schools,” said Melissa Caffrey, director of Pathways for the North Providence School District. “What makes this program especially exciting is the collaboration between our school, the marine trades industry, and our community.”

“Our students are not simply learning about boatbuilding, composites, systems, and marine technology; they are working alongside industry partners, earning credentials, building confidence, and discovering opportunities they may never have considered before being an active participant in this program of study,” Caffrey noted.

Supt. Joseph Goho noted that in the Ocean State, it was landlocked North Providence that first launched the initiative.

“It’s so ironic that North Providence was the first marine trades program in the state,” Goho said. “We can use our resources to grow the economy.”

Student creations over the course of a school year range from traditional rowboats, kayaks and canoes, to steamboats, sailboats and 12-foot skiffs. At a boating center at Camp Meehan at Notte Park, the program culminates with an annual launch day on the Wenscott Reservoir.

“What they’ve built comes to life at Camp Meehan,” said Caffrey.

“It’s about not just the long-term skill creation,” Amo said of the program. “It’s the things that help build their journey along the way.”

The congressman’s visit was timed with the release of his 2026 Blue Economy Report, which spotlights Rhode Island’s progress in supporting and growing marine trades and manufacturing.

“The Blue Economy is not just a concept,” Amo said, noting the maritime industry’s importance to the state’s growth. “I’ll bring these ideas back to Washington and keep fighting for the investment and support Rhode Island needs to lead the way.”

“You’re continuing a legacy that goes back hundreds of years, but more importantly, you’re contributing to your own future,” Amo told the students.

The congressman instructed the students to keep working hard, do well in all their coursework, and have joy while doing it.

“You should be excited about this,” he said. “This is something that is going to put your life on a great path. You are building our future.”