Over the summer, Port of Seattle Commissioner Ryan Calkins and members of his staff spent time at MITAGS’ west coast campus. Recently, Commissioner Calkins shared an article about that visit and the need for maritime workforce development. A need, that MITAGS can help fulfill with its Maritime Apprenticeship Program.
Particularly in Washington, there are extreme staffing shortages causing canceled and delayed Ferry sailings. As Commissioner Calkins states in his article, while the problem may be clear, the solution is much more complex. It takes years of training to master the skills required to operate vessels, such as ferries. In the past, MITAGS has even teamed up with Washington State Ferries for its Maritime Apprenticeship Program and it’s something both entities hope to continue.
Click here to read Commissioner Calkins’ full article!
Related Posts

Throughout most of U.S. history, American high school students were routinely taught vocational and job-ready skills along with the three Rs: reading, writing and arithmetic. Indeed readers of a certain age are likely to have fond memories of huddling over wooden workbenches learning a craft such as woodwork or maybe metal work, or any one of the hands-on projects that characterized the once-ubiquitous shop class.
But in the 1950s, a different philosophy emerged...

The American Maritime Partnership (AMP), the voice of the domestic maritime industry, today joins President Donald J. Trump and congressional leaders in honoring the merchant mariners who served during the Second World War...

Grand River Navigation and MITAGS Partner to Train Next Generation of Ships’ Officers on the Great Lakes2-Year Apprenticeship Provides Fast Track to Certification Linthicum Heights, MD – August 9, 2023 – The Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies (MITAGS) is pleased to announce a new offering of its nationally-recognized Maritime Apprenticeship Program (MAP), in […]