Joint Statement by the American Maritime Centers of Excellence

The federally designated American Maritime Centers of Excellence proudly recognizes National Maritime Day, May 22, 2021, a day in which celebrations are held throughout the country to honor the maritime industry – an anchor in the global transportation of goods and services.
This year’s theme, America’s Maritime Workforce: Connecting the Nation and the World, is fitting as the American Maritime Centers of Excellence collectively provide a quality education and train thousands of students to serve as world-class mariners, engineers, supply chain managers, logistic professionals, scientists, and public servants. Young men and women who graduate from any of the six maritime academies – California State University Maritime Academy, Maine Maritime Academy, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Great Lakes Maritime Academy, SUNY Maritime College, and Texas A&M Maritime Academy – become dynamic leaders for the global marine transportation industry and contribute to the economic and national security of the U.S. They also serve as officers in the nation’s intermodal transportation system, U.S. merchant marine, and U.S. Armed Forces.
The American Maritime Centers of Excellence generate an American workforce like no other – impacting all parts of the globe – and is key to connecting the nation and the world. Each state maritime academy awaits the arrival of its own newly constructed national security multi-mission vessel (NSMV), a state-of-the-art training ship designed to support merchant mariner education and assist with humanitarian/disaster relief. The delivery of NSMVs to each of the state maritime academies will further enhance student training and better prepare the generations of merchant mariners to come.
For centuries, the maritime industry has played a critical role in sustaining the global economy through international trade. On this National Maritime Day, we salute American merchant mariners and all others in the American maritime industry whose efforts have ensured that our nation remains connected to the world.