EVERETT—Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin and the Port of Everett on Thursday, May 22, celebrated the grand opening of Maritime Institute at the Port’s Waterfront Place—the company’s first campus in Washington state.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony featured remarks from Port of Everett and City of Everett leadership, and Maritime Institute’s CEO Dave Abrams; followed by an open house at the mariner training facility off West Marine View Drive that included live training demonstrations and self-guided tours.
“Everett is incredibly proud of our maritime industry and values our relationships with the Port of Everett and Naval Station Everett,” Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin said. “I’m honored to be here to celebrate the grand opening of the Maritime Institute – the very first location in our state – which will fill an important need for maritime industry training.”
The new location at the Port of Everett marks Maritime Institute’s fifth in the United States. The company also has main campuses in Norfolk, Virginia and San Diego, California, plus satellite locations in Alameda, California, and Honolulu, Hawaii.
“The Maritime Institute has a long history on the West Coast – and we are so excited that they have chosen to open their first Washington location at the Port of Everett waterfront,” Port of Everett Commission President Tom Stiger said. “The Port looks forward to the growth of the Maritime Institute here and to watch as their classes graduate and go on to get jobs in the maritime industry.”
The Everett facility fills a growing need, providing closer-to-home training opportunities for existing and aspiring mariners located in Washington and throughout the Pacific Northwest.
“We chose Everett as our latest expansion market because of the rich maritime heritage of the Pacific Northwest,” Maritime Institute CEO Dave Abrams said. “Washington’s maritime sector includes about 2,300 companies employing over 62,000 workers. Additionally, nearly 700 fishing and seafood operations are located in Washington; Washington has the highest per capita boat usage in the nation with over 250,000 registered vessels; Washington State Ferries is the largest public ferry operation in the United States; of the 117 shipyards in the U.S., nearly a quarter are located in Washington state. That means there is a big demand for training – and that is what we do.”
In-the-classroom and on-the-water instruction at Everett leads to 25 recognized certifications for the maritime industry. One of the key programs that will be offered in Everett is the Mariner Bootcamp – a four-week training program that puts students with little to no experience on a career pathway in maritime.
“This facility is an important training asset for Washington state where we have the nation’s largest ferry system, a growing U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard presence, large commercial and recreational boating presence and the second largest cargo gateway on the West Coast,” Port of Everett CEO Lisa Lefeber said. “On a local level, here in Snohomish County, 60% of jobs are tied to trade and the maritime industry, which equates to family-wage jobs for our communities. We are excited to have the Maritime Institute here to support these partnerships and strengthen our maritime workforce.”
The Maritime Institute trains more than 10,000 mariners across its sites annually. They offer 150+ courses, authorized by the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy, including all aspects of vessel operations including deck, engineering, life safety and small arms. The company is also a certified Global Wind Organization training provider for the offshore wind market and offers courses through its BoaterU program for recreational mariners.
The Maritime Institute, at 1130 West Marine View Drive, is located in a 6,000-square-foot space at the Port’s Maritime, Exploration and Innovation Complex in the Craftsman District at Waterfront Place.
About the Maritime Institute
The new Maritime Institute campus at the Port of Everett is the company’s first in Washington state. The Maritime Institute has trained mariners for almost 50 years, working with government organizations, ship operators and maritime unions, including the U.S. Navy, Military Sealift Command, Crowley, NOAA, Sailor’s Union of the Pacific, Marine Fireman’s Union, Disney Line Cruises, Foss Maritime and Washington State Ferries.
The Maritime Institute offers 150+ vessel operation courses certified by the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Navy and Global Wind Organization. Through its state-of-the-art facilities, mariners receive hands-on training to earn job certifications. Courses range from one day to six weeks in length. For more information, visit www.maritimeinstitute.com.
SOURCE: Port of Everett
