Normal operations resuming at regional examination centers
15 May

Normal operations resuming at regional examination centers

Professional Mariner StaffLicensing & Training,
(WASHINGTON) — Effective Monday, May 18, all regional examination centers (RECs) and monitoring units (MUs) except for REC New Orleans and MU San Juan will return to routine operations, including availability to schedule examinations for all mariners. REC New Orleans will remain temporarily closed to walk-in and counter service, but its examination room will reopen for scheduling and conducting mariner…
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NMC issues guidance on expired shipping labels, processing delays
07 May

NMC issues guidance on expired shipping labels, processing delays

Professional Mariner StaffLicensing & Training,
(MARTINSBURG, W.Va.) — The National Maritime Center (NMC) is implementing an update to its policy regarding the use of customer-provided U.S. Postal Service (USPS) shipping labels for credential delivery. Due to current application inventory levels and extended processing timelines, applications may not be completed for several months after submission. In accordance with USPS shipping policy, shipping labels that are more…
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Cal Poly cadets set to cast off for Summer Sea Term
07 May

Cal Poly cadets set to cast off for Summer Sea Term

Professional Mariner StaffLicensing & Training
(VALLEJO, Calif. ) — Over 300 Cal Poly Maritime Academy cadets will soon embark on their annual Summer Sea Term, a 65-day Pacific training voyage aboard the training ship Golden Bear, marking both a defining part of a cadet’s education and the final era of a vessel that has served the seafaring academy for three decades. The voyage also marks the first since the…
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NMC update: Civilian staff return to work, RECs still closed
21 Apr

NMC update: Civilian staff return to work, RECs still closed

Professional Mariner StaffLicensing & Training,
(MARTINSBURG, W.Va.) — While the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Coast Guard remain without an appropriation providing full fiscal year 2026 funding, National Maritime Center (NMC) civilian staff have returned to work under alternative funding arrangements. As this funding stream is not a full appropriation and the duration of funding is uncertain, NMC staff have resumed normal…
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Eastern, county boost workforce through academy partnership
15 Apr

Eastern, county boost workforce through academy partnership

Professional Mariner StaffLicensing & Training
(PANAMA CITY, Fla.) — Eastern Shipbuilding Group, in collaboration with Gulf County and regional partners, recently hosted Florida’s secretary of commerce and a delegation of economic development leaders for a special presentation on the Gulf County/Eastern Shipbuilding Group Maritime Academy, a strategic workforce development initiative designed to cultivate the next generation of skilled maritime professionals. During their visit to the…
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NMC issues guidance on delivery, use of e-medical certificates
08 Apr

NMC issues guidance on delivery, use of e-medical certificates

Professional Mariner StaffLicensing & Training,
(MARTINSBURG, W.Va.) — The National Maritime Center (NMC) has released the following guidance on delivery, e-signing and troubleshooting common issues with e-medical certificates: What’s new • New medical certificates that do not include a medical waiver will now be delivered electronically via email. • Certificates are issued as standard 8.5-by-11-inch (letter size) PDF documents. • Certificates must be signed to…
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Computer-based SASH training course now available
03 Apr

Computer-based SASH training course now available

Professional Mariner StaffLicensing & Training,
(NEW ORLEANS) — The Ship Operations Cooperative Program (SOCP) has released its maritime sexual assault and sexual harassment (SASH) prevention and response e-learning program, a comprehensive, SCORM-compliant training course developed to support the U.S. maritime industry’s commitment to a safe, respectful, and accountable workplace culture. Developed under a cooperative agreement with the Maritime Administration (MarAd), this interactive training fulfills the…
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NMC to begin email delivery of medical certificates
26 Mar

NMC to begin email delivery of medical certificates

Professional Mariner StaffLicensing & Training
(MARTINSBURG, W.Va.) — The National Maritime Center (NMC) will begin issuing medical certificates electronically via email effective Wednesday, April 1. This enhancement improves delivery speed, reliability, and accessibility by providing mariners with immediate access to their certificates. What’s changing on April 1: • Medical certificate (no waiver) delivered via email – standard delivery method. – All new medical certificates that…
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IMO advances STCW review, initiative on seafarer fatigue
18 Mar

IMO advances STCW review, initiative on seafarer fatigue

Professional Mariner StaffLicensing & Training,
(LONDON) — The International Maritime Organization (IMO) Subcommittee on Human Element, Training and Watchkeeping (HTW 12), held from Feb. 23-27, delivered progress across several areas of importance to the maritime workforce, including the comprehensive review of the STCW Convention and Code, training for alternative fuels, and the launch of a new workstream on fatigue and hours of work and rest.…
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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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