(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Maritime Administration (MarAd) on Thursday announced the designation of 32 Centers of Excellence (CoE) for Domestic Maritime Workforce Training and Education. The designated COEs consist of 50 maritime training locations across 17 states and Guam. The designation recognizes and promotes support to post-secondary maritime training programs that prepare students for careers in the maritime industry.
“Our country depends on a highly-skilled mariner workforce to strengthen both our economy and our national security,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “The 32 Centers of Excellence we’re designating today will promote training opportunities outside of traditional four-year degree programs and will bring more Americans into these great maritime careers.”
Section 51706 of title 46 United States Code authorizes the secretary of transportation to designate a domestic maritime workforce training and education entity as a “center of excellence” if such entity, among other things, is demonstrably successful in maritime workforce training and education.
“Our Centers of Excellence designations recognize the high standards of maritime education and training provided by these organizations,” said Maritime Administrator Ann Phillips. “These institutions play a critical role in providing domestic mariners with the expertise needed to best serve the maritime industry.”
MarAd published a solicitation for applications in the Federal Register on July 20 for eligible and qualified training entities, under the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act. The approved entities include 38 post-secondary educational institutions; one post-secondary vocational institution; four nonprofit structured experiential training programs; four registered apprenticeship sponsors; three maritime training centers; and four organizations containing a combination of the above-mentioned entities.
The complete list of 2024 designees follows:
Alaska
Alaska Maritime Education Consortium includes six institutions:
Alaska Vocational Technical Center, Seward
University of Alaska Fairbanks, Bristol Bay campus, Dillingham
University of Alaska Anchorage, Kodiak College, Kodiak
University of Alaska Anchorage, Kenai Peninsula College at Kachemak Bay Campus, Homer
University of Alaska Anchorage, Prince William Sound College, Valdez
University of Alaska Southeast at Ketchikan, Ketchikan
California
Long Beach Community College, Long Beach
Mira Costa Community College, Oceanside
Orange Coast College, Newport Beach
Florida
Star Center, Dania Beach
College of the Florida Keys, Key West
Kentucky
West Kentucky Community & Technical College, Paducah
Louisiana
Delgado Community College, New Orleans
Maryland
Anne Arundel Community College, Arnold
Calhoon MEBA Engineering School, Easton
Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies (MITAGS East), Linthicum Heights
Community College of Baltimore County, Baltimore
Seafarers Harry Lundenberg School of Seamanship, Piney Point
Minnesota
Minnesota State Domestic Maritime Workforce Consortium includes three institutions:
Lake Superior College, Duluth
St. Paul College, St. Paul
Minnesota State College Southeast, Winona
Mississippi
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Perkinston
Hinds Community College, Raymond
North Carolina
Carteret Community College, Morehead City
Cape Fear Community College, Wilmington
Oregon
Clatsop Community College, Astoria
Pacific Northwest Maritime Industries Education Alliance (PAC Maritime) member:
Portland Community College, Portland
Pennsylvania
Delaware County Community College, Media
Rhode Island
Community College of Rhode Island, Warwick
South Carolina
Trident Technical College, North Charleston
Texas
San Jacinto College District, Pasadena
Virginia
Hampton Roads Maritime Industries Education Alliance consists of two members:
Maritime Institute, Norfolk
Old Dominion University, Norfolk
Tidewater Community College (TCC):
Chesapeake campus, Chesapeake
Portsmouth campus, Portsmouth
Virginia Beach campus, Virginia Beach
Washington
Divers Institute of Technology, Seattle
Flagship Maritime, Tacoma
Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies (MITAGS West), Seattle
Northwest School of Wooden Boat Building, Port Hadlock
Pacific Northwest Maritime Industries Education Alliance (PAC Maritime) members:
Skagit Valley Community College, Mount Vernon
North Seattle College, Seattle
Seattle Central College, Seattle
South Seattle College, Seattle
Crawford Nautical Training, Seattle
Peninsula College, Port Angeles
Clark College, Vancouver
Wisconsin
Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, Green Bay
Guam
Cabras Marine Corp., Piti
Guam Shipyard, Tamuning
– U.S. Maritime Administration
