The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) today (9 Sep) designated 16 maritime training institutions as 2026 Centers of Excellence (CoE) to bolster workforce training nationwide. This brings MARAD’s CoE network to 48 institutions across 87 training facilities in 28 states and territories that provide competitive workforce and training programs for future mariners.      The new designations include:   University of Michigan Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering in Ann Arbor, Michigan      Northwest Maritime Center in Port Townsend, Wash.      Chapman School of Seamanship in Stuart, Fla.      Bunker Hill Community College in Boston, Mass. And,     Webb Institute in Glen Cove, N.Y.

“Under President Trump’s leadership, we are supercharging the maritime workforce pipeline. This designation alone brings nearly 20,000 trainees into America’s mariner training program who are preparing for a career in service to the American people,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “From constructing Navy warships to operating river towboats, we are partnering with elite institutions to equip our mariner workforce with the skills needed to keep our supply chains moving.”      MARAD says that CoEs are laser-focused on training the next generation of mariners for vital careers at sea and on shore. The expansion brings the total number of mariners, apprentices, and students trained by MARAD CoEs each year to 58,000.      “The strength of America’s economy is tied directly to the resilience of our domestic fleet and the technical skill of our mariners,” said Maritime Administrator Stephen M. Carmel. “The institutions we honor today are the backbone of American maritime power. They are delivering top-tier mariner credentials, training nuclear shipbuilders, and ensuring our commercial waterways stay open in any crisis.”