MARAD Designates More Centers of Excellence for Maritime Training

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) 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.”

Many companies across the U.S. maritime industry—from vessel owners and port operators to shipbuilders and their suppliers—cite efforts to attract, hire and retain workers as one of their top challenges.

MARAD developed the COE program to support maritime workforce training and education at designated COEs, including efforts of the designees to admit additional students; recruit and train faculty; expand facilities; create new maritime pathways; and award students credit for prior experience, including military service.

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, 2023, for eligible and qualified training entities, under the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act. The approved entities include 38 postsecondary educational institutions; one postsecondary vocational institution; four non-profit structured experiential training programs; four registered apprenticeship sponsors; three maritime training centers; and four organizations containing a combination of the above-mentioned entities.