Building a world-renowned technical workforce to support the maritime industries of Washington State.

We accomplish this by growing and fostering connections among industry, education, government, and stakeholder organizations.

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Who We Serve

The Center of Excellence for Marine Manufacturing & Technology serves multiple communities including:

  • students and parents,

  • adult learners,

  • industry,

  • economic and workforce development,

  • government, and

  • community stakeholders.

The Center provides value to each of these communities by providing: industry demand data, access to maritime industry pathways, and access to education and training resources.

We invite you to start your exploration of the maritime industry by visiting our career pathways page, where you will learn about the industry and careers, meet folks who work in the maritime industry, and explore the points of entry into the industry.

Our vision is a robust and competitive maritime industry with pathway opportunities for technicians at all levels and from all communities; and an industry that embraces technological advancement with an eye to sustainable practices.

Our Work: Aluminum Welding

In 2017, The NW Center of Excellence for Marine Manufacturing & Technology and the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) in partnership with Skagit Valley College, conducted a series of industry roundtables throughout the state of Washington focused on the aluminum welding skill set in support of the boat and ship building and repair industries of Washington State.

As we met with subject matter experts the project documented and mapped curriculum requirements, capital equipment for labs and training aids, and instructor development needed to expand existing welding programs or establish new programs in our college system.

Additionally, the project identified, assessed and quantified the pipeline need for aluminum welders in the boat and ship-building and repair industries in Washington State.

 

As part of the project, we were able to support two welding programs, Clark College and Peninsula College, in becoming Accredited Testing Facilities through the American Welding Society.

About the Centers of Excellence

The NW Center of Excellence for Marine Manufacturing & Technology is one of eleven Washington State Centers of Excellence, a nationally recognized economic and workforce development model.

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Mission Statement

Washington’s Centers of Excellence shall serve as the statewide liaisons to business, industry, labor and the state’s educational systems, for the purpose of creating a highly skilled and readily available workforce, dedicated to principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion, which are critical to the success of the industries driving the state’s economy and supporting Washington families.

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Vision Statement

The Washington Centers of Excellence shall serve as a local, national, and global leader in developing model partnerships among business, industry, education, labor, and government for the purpose of supporting workforce development and enhancing economic vitality.

Core Expectations for the Centers of Excellence

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    Economic Development Focus

    Serve as partners with various state and local agencies, regional, national, and global organizations to support economic vitality and competitiveness in Washington’s driver industries.

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    Industry Sector Strategy Focus

    Collaboratively build, expand, and support industry, labor and community and technical college partnerships to support and promote responsive, rigorous, and relevant workforce education and training. Use data-driven resources to accomplish this.

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    Education, Innovation and Efficiency Focus

    Collaborate and convene industry networks and educational partnerships to support the development of efficient educational systems and strategies, all with the aim of building a diverse and competitive workforce.

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    Workforce Supply and Demand, Data, and Standards Focus

    Research, analyze and disseminate information related to training capacity, skill gaps, trends, and best practices within each industry sector to support a viable new and incumbent workforce.

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    Equity and Access Focus

    Work with industry and education to maximize student and worker potential within a culture that advances racial, social, and economic justice to service our diverse communities.

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Get In Touch

We welcome anyone or any organization interested in learning about the maritime industry to contact us to learn about career pathways, training programs, industry resources and high demand careers.