The U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) has designated 16 additional maritime training institutions as Centers of Excellence as part of efforts to expand the country’s maritime workforce and support the rebuilding of its domestic shipbuilding industry.

The new designations bring MARAD’s network to 48 institutions operating across 87 training facilities in 28 states and territories. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the centers collectively train about 58,000 mariners, apprentices and students each year, while the 16 newly designated institutions account for nearly 20,000 trainees preparing for maritime careers.

Among the new Centers of Excellence are the University of Michigan’s Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, Northwest Maritime Center in Washington, Chapman School of Seamanship in Florida, Bunker Hill Community College in Massachusetts and Webb Institute in New York. Their programs cover areas ranging from mariner credentialing and vessel operations to shipbuilding and specialized technical training.

The expansion comes as the U.S. government seeks to address shortages of skilled maritime workers and increase domestic shipbuilding capacity. The initiative supports President Donald Trump’s broader policy to rebuild the U.S. maritime industrial base, which identifies recruitment, training and retention of maritime workers as part of expanding the country’s commercial and naval shipbuilding capabilities. Each Center of Excellence designation is valid for five years, with another application period expected in fall 2026.