Career Connect Washington Maritime Sector Intermediary Project
Photo courtesy Dale Bateman, Seattle Maritime Academy
In 2022, the Center of Excellence for Marine Manufacturing & Technology applied for designation as Career Connect Washington Maritime Sector Intermediary. As a Career Connect Washington Maritime Sector Intermediary, we are excited to take on the challenge of creating a statewide industry aligned maritime workforce sectoral strategy in support of the critical Washington State maritime industry. Career-connected programs give students the chance to meet and work with people in jobs that interest them. More information about Career Connect Washington can be found at www.careerconnectwa.org.
To accomplish the goal of creating a career connected maritime workforce strategy, we formed a Maritime Sector Stakeholders Group, a diverse statewide assembly of industry, labor, associations, education, registered apprenticeship, indigenous and diverse communities, career connect networks, workforce and economic development, non-profit organizations, community stakeholders and agencies. Next, we identified a consulting partner, Seattle Jobs Initiative, to lead the work of the Stakeholder Group. Active Stakeholder Group engagement and participation have been the key to success in this project.
What does our work involve?
Understand the demand for talent over the next two to five years and the skills and competencies needed for identified high-quality entry-level jobs.
Work from a shared definition of the maritime industry.
Review data and findings to support and inform the sectoral strategy.
Participate fully as a Stakeholder Group member through meeting attendance, and engagement.
Identify high quality existing programs to scale and identify gaps where new programs are needed.
This project will focus on three primary sub-sectors:
Underway Operations/Activities
Commercial Fishing & Seafood Products
Ship and Boat Building, Repair & Maintenance
We identified the following high level strategic goals:
Goal One: Improve awareness and access to Maritime Career Pathways with an emphasis on partnerships and engagement with Black, Indigenous, and People of Color as well as other under-invested communities
Goal Two: Communicate the value of Maritime sector careers more effectively
Goal Three: Build foundational tools to remove structural barriers to advancing an equitable maritime workforce plan
Goal Four: Improve the cohesiveness of the Career Connected Learning Eco-system across the State