Washington State Skill Center Association

Port of Everett
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FIRST COHORT OF HIGH SCHOOL MARITIME VESSEL OPERATIONS COURSE GRADUATES FROM PORT OF EVERETT, MARITIME INSTITUTE, SNO-ISLE TECH SKILS CENTER PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM
The first cohort of high school students in the Maritime Vessel Operations program, a partnership between the Port of Everett, Maritime Institute - West, and Sno-Isle TECH Skills Center, graduated on Wednesday, June 10, 2026.
The nine students who successfully completed the program are now eligible to join any United States merchant vessel at the entry level, having secured industry-recognized certifications, including a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC), a Merchant Mariner Credential (MMC) and Certification of Watchkeepers (STCW-95).
Students also learned engine room familiarization, personal survival techniques, watchkeeper/navigation introduction, vessel security, crowd management, maritime electrical systems, outboard engine maintenance, diesel/gas and electrical engine maintenance, marine plumbing, and more.
Hands-on learning through site visits, marine firefighting and personal survival courses, and working to restore an old sailboat was a major component of the class. As a final requirement, students were required to complete 100 hours of on-the-job training through internships or apprenticeships at local maritime companies.
The graduation marked an important milestone in the Port of Everett’s workforce development efforts. Sign-ups for next year’s program have already quadrupled in size.
“Congratulations to the inaugural graduating class of this first-of-its-kind maritime workforce development program,” Port of Everett CEO/Executive Director Lisa Lefeber said. “This achievement reflects years of collaboration and the Port’s commitment to workforce development. With our partners Maritime Institute and Sno-Isle TECH Skills Center, we are proud to help create direct pathways for the next generation of mariners that help keep local talent local.”
This graduating class has been years in the making. Sno-Isle TECH Skills Center, a cooperative effort of 15 local school districts throughout the County offering students preparatory training, certification, and post-high school credit, was instrumental in bringing the partnership to life for its expertise in providing career and technical education classes that align with Washington state graduation standards. This partnership program was its first-ever maritime-focused career pathway.
“We are so excited to celebrate our first completing class in the Maritime Vessel Operations class at Sno-Isle TECH,” Wes Allen, Director of Sno-Isle TECH Skills Center, said. “These students are prepared for amazing success in the maritime industry with the experience and industry recognized credentials that will set them apart from their peers in the industry. This couldn’t have been done without the strong partnership and support of the Maritime Institute and the Port of Everett. We look forward to the continued growth and development of this program at the Port to meet the needs of our business and industry partners while preparing our graduates for long term success.”
The pilot program was a first for Maritime Institute, too. Already an industry leader in providing mariner education for adults, the Maritime Vessel Operations course was the first time the company has offered a high school student option. The curriculum adapted Maritime Institute’s U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) approved “Mariner Bootcamp” program – historically only offered to adults as an 8-week intensive course – into a year-long program tailored to fit the schedule of the high school skill center programming and aligned with core competencies required for graduation.
“The only way that this program was successful was because of the Port of Everett’s support, along with Sno-Isle TECH and Maritime Institute; we were all able to come together and make a cohesive plan,” Brian Hennessy, the instructor for the course, said. “I hope that other Coast Guard-approved education facilities take the hint here that this is a good way to bring our children into the maritime field. The average mariner is in their late 50s, and we need a new generation to get out there and take to the seas.”
Many of the internship opportunities turned into job offers. The Port hired three students for its seasonal maintenance team, and local employers like Everett Ship Repair and Western Towboat hired students as well. Other students have accepted roles on Bristol Bay fishing boats, smaller shipyards, or are pursuing careers in the U.S. Coast Guard.
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