Boot Camp launches maritime careers and changes lives
19 Feb

Boot Camp launches maritime careers and changes lives

Professional Mariner StaffLicensing & Training
For roughly a decade, maritime training organizations have offered “boot camp”-style programs aimed at fast-tracking new mariners into entry-level jobs aboard commercial vessels. The premise is simple: Compress the essential credentials and foundational skills into an intensive, immersive course that prepares students for life at sea. Over the span of several weeks, participants earn their Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC),…
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MarAd taking applications for Centers of Excellence program
18 Feb

MarAd taking applications for Centers of Excellence program

Professional Mariner StaffLicensing & Training
(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Maritime Administration (MarAd) opened applications Tuesday for its Centers of Excellence program for Domestic Maritime Workforce Training and Education (CoE). Under President Trump and Secretary Sean Duffy, the administration is bolstering the nation's maritime workforce and investing in research, collaboration, promotion and policy support. “Our Centers of Excellence provide the critical infrastructure to train the next…
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Robert Allan Memorial Scholarship for 2026 open for applications
30 Jan

Robert Allan Memorial Scholarship for 2026 open for applications

Professional Mariner StaffLicensing & Training,
(VANCOUVER, British Columbia) — The Robert Allan Memorial Scholarship award for 2026 is open for applications until June 30. The Robert Allan Memorial Scholarship was established in 1982 through a bequest from the late Robert F. Allan, with additional support from his friends and colleagues. Robert Allan Ltd. continues to actively support the scholarship through ongoing contributions, and the fund…
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New Coast Guard portal improves online credentialing services
28 Jan

New Coast Guard portal improves online credentialing services

Professional Mariner StaffLicensing & Training,
(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Coast Guard has launched a new, easier-to-use online system that allows mariners to submit and track credential applications faster and more securely. The Application Submission and Additional Information Portal, known as ASAP, lets mariners apply for merchant mariner credentials and medical certificates, upload documents and monitor application status in one place. The system is now the…
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Mass Maritime gets $5.8 million grant to train U.S. shipbuilders
19 Jan

Mass Maritime gets $5.8 million grant to train U.S. shipbuilders

Professional Mariner StaffLicensing & Training
(BUZZARDS BAY, Mass.) — Massachusetts Maritime Academy has received a $5.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to develop an international shipbuilding fellowship with Satakunta University of Applied Sciences (SAMK) in Rauma, Finland, in response to a critical shortage of skilled workers within the U.S. shipbuilding industry. Additional consortium partners include Lansirannikon Koulutus Oy WinNova (WinNova), Rauma Marine…
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New superintendent, provost named at Merchant Marine Academy
08 Jan

New superintendent, provost named at Merchant Marine Academy

Professional Mariner StaffLicensing & Training,
(WASHINGTON) — U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Thursday announced the appointments of Rear Adm. Tony Ceraolo as superintendent and Dr. Johnathan Gajdos as provost at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA). Both men bring decades of experience in public administration, military leadership and education. President Trump’s Executive Order on Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance directed a revitalization of the academy.…
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NMC to launch new application portal, redesigned website
08 Jan

NMC to launch new application portal, redesigned website

Professional Mariner StaffLicensing & Training,
(MARTINSBURG, W.Va.) — The National Maritime Center (NMC) will officially launch its new online Application Submission and Additional Information Portal (ASAP) and redesigned website on Monday, Jan. 26. The transition to the new website will begin Friday, Jan. 23, and users will experience a period of system unavailability during this transition. Please note this new functionality is not associated with…
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Staffing shortages reduce service at REC New Orleans
30 Dec

Staffing shortages reduce service at REC New Orleans

Professional Mariner StaffLicensing & Training
(MARTINSBURG, W.Va.) — Due to staffing shortages at Regional Examination Center (REC) New Orleans, the National Maritime Center (NMC) has implemented the following temporary measures: • Mariner examinations: REC New Orleans will continue to provide mariner testing via scheduled examination appointments only. Examination appointments are available Monday through Thursday 7:30 a.m.-11 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. CT. Examination appointments are…
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Seventeen students receive Crowley memorial scholarships
22 Dec

Seventeen students receive Crowley memorial scholarships

Rich MillerLicensing & Training
(JACKSONVILLE, Fla.) — Seventeen students from seven U.S. and El Salvador maritime academies and universities have been selected as the 2025 recipients of the Thomas B. Crowley Sr. Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship recognizes students who demonstrate exceptional academic achievement and dedication to their studies related to the maritime industry. The scholarship honors the legacy of Thomas B. Crowley Sr. by…
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NMC announces changes to improve credentialing process
02 Dec

NMC announces changes to improve credentialing process

Professional Mariner StaffLicensing & Training,
(MARTINSBURG, W.Va.) — The National Maritime Center (NMC) has announced three upcoming enhancements designed to make the maritime credentialing experience faster, clearer and more convenient. New and improved website (January 2026) The redesigned website will put customers first, using plain language and focusing on the NMC's major products and services: merchant mariner credentials (MMCs), medical certificates (MCs), courses, and examinations.…
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