EVERETT—Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) on Thursday, May 30, visited the Maritime Institute, which celebrated its grand opening at the Port of Everett last week.

The Maritime Institute offers a variety of Coast Guard-certified courses, including firefighting, celestial and electronic navigation, and training for roles like able seafarer or steersman. Their 4-week “Mariner Bootcamp” offers basic credentials for those looking for work in the maritime industry, including Washington State Ferries and commercial vessels.

The new 6,000-square-foot location at the Port of Everett marks the fifth Maritime Institute 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 House of Representatives recently passed the Coast Guard Authorization Act with overwhelming bipartisan support. The Coast Guard bill includes several provisions to address the mariner shortage, including authorizing $11 million for an electronic credentialling system to prevent paper processing delays from impacting new and existing mariners entering the industry.

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.

Rep. Larsen earlier on Thursday delivered remarks to the Puget Sound Regional Council’s General Assembly, in Seattle, highlighting critical investments in transportation and infrastructure like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), FAA Reauthorization Act and other long-term federal investments throughout Puget Sound.

How does the FAA Reauthorization Act benefit #WA02 airports?

I recently joined @PaineField Airport Director Josh Marcy to discuss how investments included in the law helps Paine Field build better infrastructure & create more local jobs ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/pDb9ocxT3W

— Rep. Rick Larsen (@RepRickLarsen) May 30, 2024

So far, the BIL has invested $8.8 billion in Washington state with more than 800 specific projects identified for funding statewide. As the lead Democrat on the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, Larsen played a leading role in negotiating the bipartisan FAA bill, which reauthorizes the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and aviation infrastructure and safety programs for five years.