Broward College students of the Marine Industry Management Program will embark on a training experience of a lifetime thanks to the committed leadership of marine industry leader Joe Charles.

Charles, president of Charles Industries, Ltd., has partnered with the City of Moore Haven on behalf of Broward College. As part of an agreement, the Marine Industry Management Program of Broward College will acquire three water taxis. The water taxis will be incorporated into the educational curriculum of the program providing more than 40 students with a hands-on learning project where they will work on the electrical, electronic and diesel engines. The unique agreement will provide students with state-of-the-art training on some of the vessels most popularly used in the tourism industry today.

Charles Industries, Ltd., provides high quality, innovative AC and DC electrical products through its Charles Marine & Industrial Group. Based in Rolling Meadows, IL, the Charles Marine & Industrial Group is a provider of high quality, innovative AC and DC electrical products, including battery chargers, inverters, isolation and boosting transformers, ship-to-shore cable products, onboard communications systems and industrial transformers. Charles products are used by OEMs and distributed by retailers worldwide.

The water taxi agreement is the latest effort by Charles in his commitment to co-chair the fundraising efforts for Broward College’s Marine Technology Center of Excellence, now offering its inaugural class in Marine Engineering Management and Seamanship. The program was established to respond to the significant growth of Florida’s marine industry and the need for highly qualified employees in this sector.  In addition to supporting the marine industry, the program will graduate students into a well-paying career.

“This is truly an incredible experience set for these dedicated students,” said Charles. “The training will open their minds to today’s cutting edge technology in marine engineering. Additionally, the commitment of the City of Moore Haven is a trend-setting example that I hope others will soon follow to provide Broward College in its goal to enhancing the educational experience of students.”

The first vessel is scheduled to be completed by the inaugural class by December of 2008.