Licensing & Training – Professional Mariner

08 Apr

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

Professional Mariner StaffLicensing & TrainingNMC, U.S. Coast Guard

(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…

03 Apr

Computer-based SASH training course now available

Professional Mariner StaffLicensing & TrainingSASH, U.S. Coast Guard

(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…

26 Mar

NMC to begin email delivery of medical certificates

Professional Mariner StaffLicensing & TrainingNMC

(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…

18 Mar

IMO advances STCW review, initiative on seafarer fatigue

Professional Mariner StaffLicensing & Trainingsafety, shipping

(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.…

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),…

18 Feb

MarAd taking applications for Centers of Excellence program

Professional Mariner StaffLicensing & TrainingMarAd

(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…

30 Jan

Robert Allan Memorial Scholarship for 2026 open for applications

Professional Mariner StaffLicensing & Trainingshipbuilding, Tugboats and towing

(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…

28 Jan

New Coast Guard portal improves online credentialing services

Professional Mariner StaffLicensing & TrainingNMC, U.S. Coast Guard

(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…

19 Jan

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

Professional Mariner StaffLicensing & Trainingshipbuilding

(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…

08 Jan

New superintendent, provost named at Merchant Marine Academy

Professional Mariner StaffLicensing & TrainingMerchant marine, USMMA

(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.…