There are many paths to becoming a mariner. For some, it begins at the MARAD-run United States Merchant Marine Academy, one of the service academies. For others, it begins at one of the six maritime academies. For those currently serving in the military, the Military to Mariner (M2M) program is a valuable resource. Additionally, trade unions sponsor schools dedicated to maritime studies, and many 2-year community colleges offer maritime certificate programs. Additionally, MARAD works with K-12 schools, especially at the high school level, to put students on a maritime career path. MARAD further supports maritime education through its Centers of Excellence Program (CoE).

The following video, presented in both English and Spanish, was developed as a tool to educate students about career options including as a mariner, dock worker, ship building, and culinary arts.

This is the first in a planned series of videos that will provide further information about maritime career pathways. The next video will be about a career as an unlicensed mariner and is expected to be published later this Fall.