We develop and sustain Washington’s maritime careers.

The NW Center of Excellence for Marine Manufacturing & Technology brings together industry and labor to provide input to the state’s community & technical colleges so that Washington’s workforce has access to high-quality education and family-wage jobs in maritime and related fields..

Learn more

Build your workforce’s skills with maritime training and professional development

Man working on aluminum boat

Explore careers

Discover your pathway to a high-demand career in Washington’s maritime industry

Wavebreaker Blog

Featured
The Truth About Gender Diversity in the Maritime Industry
The Truth About Gender Diversity in the Maritime Industry

Many of you reading this may already be familiar with my background in Scouting. In 1992, as a young teenage girl, I was fortunate to be introduced to Sea Scouts and the numerous opportunities it presented. I became a member of the Sea Scout Ship Genesis, which had a rich history, having been established shortly after girls were permitted in Sea Scouting in the 1970s. Our fleet did not include any mixed-gender ships, leading to heightened competition on various levels. At 14 years old, I quickly learned to refrain from requesting or accepting assistance from boys. Our leadership would reprimand us if they suspected we allowed a boy to help! While this may seem extreme decades later, the confidence and empowerment instilled in many young girls through these practices is something we are missing in today’s society. I never felt inadequate, weak, or incapable. Which is very different than how most young girls feel today.

VIDEO: Marine Log’s Top Women in Maritime speak
VIDEO: Marine Log’s Top Women in Maritime speak

As part of our Career Connect Washington Maritime Sector ongoing work, we actively track, document, and inform about emerging technologies and trends. The inaugural Top Women in Maritime Celebration, hosted by Marine Log, made its mark by shining a spotlight on the incredible achievements of women in a field long dominated by men.

MARAD awards $4.85M in Marine Highway Program grants
MARAD awards $4.85M in Marine Highway Program grants

As part of our Career Connect Washington Maritime Sector ongoing work, we actively track, document, and inform about emerging technologies and trends. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) today awarded $4.85 million in United States Marine Highway Program (USMHP) grants to five marine highway projects across the  U.S. The funding, which is sharply down on some previous years, aims to enhance the movement of goods along waterways while expanding existing waterborne freight services in Louisiana, Puerto Rico, Washington, and West Virginia.

New Eno Center study underscores benefits of federal support for U.S. inland waterways
New Eno Center study underscores benefits of federal support for U.S. inland waterways

As part of our Career Connect Washington Maritime Sector ongoing work, we actively track, document, and inform about emerging technologies and trends. A new study just released by the Eno Center for Transportation finds that federal support for the U.S. inland waterways system yields significant societal benefits in a variety of areas, completely aside from the obvious freight movement advantages. Commissioned by the National Waterways Foundation (NWF) the study, “Benefits and Beneficiaries of the Nation’s Inland Waterways,” describes 14 benefit areas derived from federal support for inland waterways, grouped into three categories.