Orange Coast College has been named one of 32 Centers of Excellence for Domestic Maritime Workforce Training and Education (CoE) for 2024 by the United States Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD). OCC is one of three institutions in California to receive this designation in 2024 and was one of MARAD’s inaugural CoE in 2021.
“These programs continue to be the standard of excellence in maritime training and education,” says OCC President Angelica Suarez. “The CoE redesignation recognizes the tremendous value OCC provides in preparing students for careers in the nation’s vital maritime industry.”
MARAD grants institutions that receive the CoE designation permission to identify as recipients. Designees may state that MARAD has determined their institution and their maritime training programs meet the qualifying standards as stated in 46 US Code § 54102, approved by the U.S. Congress in 2018.
CoE designations assist the maritime industry in obtaining and maintaining the highest quality workforce. The designation recognizes and promotes support for post-secondary maritime training programs that prepare students for careers in the marine industry.
“We’re looking forward to this continued partnership with MARAD,” says OCC Waterfront Campus Manager Greg Wisener. “OCC’s professional mariner program continues to grow and evolve with enhanced facilities to prepare students for successful private or commercial vessel operations careers.”
OCC’s Waterfront Campus includes the OCC School of Sailing and Seamanship, which has two USCG-approved classrooms and a sizeable nautical library. The facility has a fleet of over three dozen instructional sailing and power vessels. The Waterfront Campus’ second building, the Professional Mariner Training Center, includes an upgraded Radar/ECDIS Lab, three oversized USCG-approved classrooms, a conference room, a student center, faculty offices, and a Full Mission Bridge Simulator.
As a CoE designation, OCC will receive support from MARAD for maritime workforce training and education, including efforts to help advance the recruitment of students and faculty, expand facilities, create new maritime pathways, and award students credit for prior experience, including military service.
OCC’s Waterfront Campus offers two paths for those seeking to start or continue a career at sea: the Professional Mariner Program or the Mariner Continuing Education Program for professional and recreational boaters. Students in the Professional Mariner Program can enroll in 8-to-16-week classes that earn credit towards an associate degree and educational certificates while providing U. S. Coast Guard-approved courses for endorsements to Merchant Mariner Credentials. The Mariner Continuing Education Program offers similar courses for time-constrained mariners and employers. Workforce development and career advancement courses that earn national and international (STCW) certifications, including licensing for Captains, are also offered.
This year, the Waterfront Campus is hosting an Open House Series for the Professional Mariner Training Center for those interested in mariner career advancement, starting on Thursday, April 9, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Attendees will tour the Waterfront Campus, learn about available programs and participate in a Full Mission Bridge Simulator demonstration. In addition, the Waterfront Campus will host a Career Fair and Guest Speaker Seminar on Friday, May 10, from 9 a.m. until noon.
During the summer, the Waterfront Campus will host its annual Summer Sailstice on Saturday, June 22, from noon to 4 p.m. Those in attendance will have a chance to sail aboard one of OCC’s sailboats. Admission is free and open to the public.