(WESTON, Conn.) — The North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA) has released its newest workforce development and maritime awareness resource: Maritime Exploration Guide, a dynamic and accessible guide created to introduce students, educators, counselors and families to the vast opportunities that exist within the maritime industry.
Rooted in NAMEPA’s mission to Save Our Seas, this new guide goes beyond awareness. It provides a direct connection between students and opportunities that exist across the maritime sector. Whether it relates to ship operations, marine engineering, environmental compliance or port logistics, the Maritime Exploration Guide helps learners understand the scope and impact of maritime careers while visualizing themselves in these roles.
“At NAMEPA, we bridge commerce and conservation and now, more than ever, we’re bridging the connection between education and the world of maritime,” said Molly Dushay, executive director of NAMEPA. “With this guide, we’ve created something tactile and informative with a powerful need: to make maritime real, tangible, and within reach.”
This resource provides a clear and engaging overview of what a future in maritime can look like, highlighting diverse career pathways, essential skills, training programs, and maritime’s vital role in global trade and sustainability. It breaks down complex information into relatable content, helping students and educators alike visualize real opportunities within the maritime sector.
“Our goal is to make the maritime industry known and accessible,”said Carleen Lyden Walker, co-founder and CEO of NAMEPA. “This effort reflects NAMEPA’s ongoing commitment to education and communicating the value proposition of our industry, ensuring the next generation sees maritime not as a distant concept but as an achievable and meaningful future. Through this work, we’re opening doors to a world many have never known existed, much less envisioned a future in it. That’s how change begins.”
What’s inside the guide:
• Why maritime, why now: A snapshot of maritime’s global importance, supported by recent legislation like the SHIPS Act and executive order.
• Skills and training: Clear pathways starting in middle school and continuing through high school, training programs, two-year colleges, and four-year maritime academies to explore and prepare for maritime careers.
• Interactive elements: Activities, checklists, and reflection prompts make this a student-friendly tool for use in classrooms, advising offices, and career fairs.
• Real voices in maritime: Insights from real professionals across the field.
The Maritime Exploration Guide was developed in collaboration with maritime professionals, educators and workforce leaders to ensure it aligns with the real needs of both students and industry. It debuted at the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Conference in Long Beach, Calif., where it was featured in “Maritime Row,” an initiative made possible by American Maritime Officers (AMO). The guide was met with enthusiasm and support from counselors and maritime stakeholders nationwide.
NAMEPA extends its gratitude to our sponsors, whose support made the creation and distribution of the Maritime Exploration Guide possible. Their commitment helps ensure that students, educators, and communities have access to tangible tools for exploring futures in maritime. Thank you to MITAGS, SMIT, Houston Mooring, Houston Pilots Anchor Watch, Wasteline Solutions, The Maritime Professor, PortMiami, Port of Everglades, San Jacinto College, and ITOPF.
To access the PDF guide, click here.
– North American Marine Environment Protection Association
