The U.S. Maritime Administration has designated 16 additional institutions as Centers of Excellence, expanding a federal training network for the maritime and shipbuilding workforce.
The latest round brings the program to 48 institutions operating through 87 training facilities in 28 states and territories. MARAD said the network provides training to about 58,000 mariners, apprentices and students each year.
According to the Department of Transportation, the 16 newly designated institutions represent nearly 20,000 trainees preparing for maritime careers.
The new group includes the University of Michigan’s Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, Northwest Maritime Center in Washington, Chapman School of Seamanship in Florida, Bunker Hill Community College in Massachusetts and Webb Institute in New York.
The expansion comes as the U.S. administration seeks to increase the number of skilled workers available to shipyards, commercial vessel operators and other parts of the maritime industrial base.
President Donald Trump’s April 2025 executive order, Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance, identified recruitment, training and retention as key parts of rebuilding U.S. maritime capacity. It also directed federal agencies to examine how many credentialed mariners would be needed to support an expanded U.S. fleet and to consider additional maritime education and training.
MARAD opened applications for the latest designation round in February. At that time, the Centers of Excellence network consisted of 32 institutions in 44 cities across 17 states.
Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said the institutions would help prepare workers for roles ranging from Navy warship construction to river towboat operations.
Maritime Administrator Stephen M. Carmel said the program would support workforce needs that include mariner credentialing and training for nuclear shipbuilding.
Congress authorized the Centers of Excellence for Domestic Maritime Workforce Training and Education program under the National Defense Authorization Act of 2018. The first 27 institutions received the designation in 2021, followed by another round in 2024.
The program links MARAD with community colleges, technical schools, maritime academies and other training institutions that prepare workers for maritime careers at sea and ashore.
MARAD can work with designated institutions on facility improvements and recruitment activities. Military training and experience may also be recognized for academic credit. In addition, participating schools may qualify for surplus federal equipment or temporary use of MARAD vessels.
Each Center of Excellence designation remains valid for five years.
The United States currently accounts for less than 1% of global commercial ship construction. The administration has sought to address domestic shipbuilding capacity through its Maritime Action Plan and other initiatives covering shipbuilding, procurement and workforce development.
MARAD said the next application period is expected to open in fall 2026.
