The Secretary of Transportation, acting through the Maritime Administrator, may designate certain eligible and qualified training entities as Centers of Excellence for Domestic Maritime Workforce Training and Education (CoE). Centers of Excellence designations serve to assist the maritime industry in obtaining and maintaining the highest quality workforce.

The Maritime Administration (MARAD) developed the CoE Program to support maritime workforce training and education at designated CoEs, including efforts of the designees to admit additional students; recruit and train faculty; expand facilities; create new maritime pathways; and award students credit for prior experience, including military service.

MARAD developed a policy to provide interested parties with comprehensive agency guidance on how best to apply for CoE designation. During application acceptance periods, MARAD will review and consider all applications it receives and may contact applicants with questions to assist in reviewing their applications. The CoE Program is a voluntary program and, therefore, any eligible and qualified training entity is free to decide whether it wishes to participate in the program and apply for a CoE designation. 

The inaugural CoE designees were announced on May 19, 2021. The 2024 designees were announced on February 22, 2024.

You can discover more detailed information on each of the current CoE designees through our 2024 CoE Interactive Map.

Latest Updates

(9/12/24 - 11/12/24) Per notice in the Federal Register, MARAD is now accepting applications from qualified post-secondary educational and vocational institutions and other public or private non-profit training entities that prepare Americans for careers in the maritime industry to apply for a Center of Excellence (CoE) for Domestic Maritime Workforce Training and Education designation. MARAD will host two informational webinars about this opportunity. The first Zoom session will be held on Thursday, September 26th at 11:00 am EDT and the second on Tuesday, October 1st at 1:00 pm EDT. Click link on session date to attend.

Previous Actions

Federal Register Notices related to the Centers of Excellence Program: 

• CoE- Designation Policy Update and Notice of Opportunity to Apply for Designation for 2023 - 88 FR 46829 (July 20, 2023)
• CoE- Notice of Opportunity to Apply for Maritime Training and Education Designation - 87 FR 43103 (July 19, 2022)
• CoE - Request for Comments on the Renewal of a Previously Approved Information Collection-Center of Excellence for Domestic Maritime Workforce Training and Education (CoE) Annual Application for Designation - 86 FR 18115 (April 7, 2021)
• CoE - Notice of Opportunity to Apply for Training and Education Designation - 85 FR 67599 (October 23, 2020)
• CoE - Final policy and information collection requests for comments - 85 FR 13231 (March 6, 2020)
• CoE - Notice and request for comments - 84 FR 34994 (July 19, 2019)
• CoE - Notice and request for comments - 83 FR 25109 (May 31, 2018)

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Gerard Wall, Centers of Excellence Program Manager, Maritime Administration, at Gerard.Wall@dot.gov or 202-366-7273.