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Tag: Workforce Development

Analysis: Jones Act waivers risk Puerto Rico jobs

By Julio Rivera. Puerto Rico has seen this novela before. A crisis erupts overseas. Markets panic. Fuel prices jump. And suddenly, the same people who have spent years attacking the Jones Act reappear with a familiar pitch. Suspend it. Waive it. Treat cabotage as the villain and promise relief just around the corner. Now Washington […]

What the Washington Post Gets Wrong about the Jones Act

The Alaskan Frontier is a American-built Suezmax tanker capable of shipping approximately 1.3 million barrels of oil. (Image Credit: OSG).

After more than 100 days, ships using the Jones Act waiver moved only about 32 million barrels of petroleum. That is roughly 1.5 percent of U.S. petroleum consumption during that same period. According to analysis from American Maritime Partnership and Navigistics Consulting, about 18 percent of waiver voyages were performed by vessels linked to Chinese […]

Opinion: The Case for the Jones Act: American Commerce, Workers, Security

By James L. Henry, Chairman, Transportation Institute. For more than 130 days, President Trump has waived the Jones Act, letting foreign ships carry cargo between American ports. Supporters of the waiver call this free trade. It isn’t. Moving oil from Texas to New Jersey is domestic commerce, not trade, any more than a UPS truck […]

Investing in America’s Maritime Future: Crowley Awards 2025 Scholarships

In December 2025, Crowley awarded the Thomas B. Crowley Sr. Memorial Scholarship to outstanding American students pursuing careers that will sustain and strengthen the nation’s maritime workforce at our nation’s maritime academies. The scholarship, established in 1994 to honor the legacy of Thomas B. Crowley Sr., recognizes exceptional academic achievement and dedication to maritime careers. […]

Florida AI Developer Says Its Platform Can Save Shipyards from Aging Workforce ‘Cliff Edge’

New Kort Nozzle installation, photo provided by USMMA Intern James Dunagan, Class of 2025

By Dolgo. Dolgo, a new maritime tech start-up spun out of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Ocean Enterprise Accelerator, today announced the development of a new AI software platform to transform shipyard skills training. Tampa, Florida based Dolgo says the software will retain expertise presently being lost as large numbers of workers retire from the […]

Automation Serves as a Workforce Multiplier for Maritime

"Automation isn’t just a response to labor challenges; it’s a catalyst for growth across the entire supply chain, helping people work smarter and safer as global trade accelerates. The maritime industry has the opportunity not just to keep up when it comes to automating, but to lead." - Brooklyn Kiso. (Image Credit: Formic).

By Brooklyn Kiosow, Marketing Communications Manager at Formic. Across the U.S., manufacturers are racing to meet growing demand for products. But with too few people to fill critical production roles, many are turning to temporary labor, overtime, and outsourcing just to keep up. On the production floor, employees are feeling the physical toll: lifting, stacking, […]

More Help Than Ever for Veterans — and More Need Than Ever, Leaders Say

Their efforts during the War enabled America to move millions of tons of materials across the globe to support U.S. troops and allies to defeat tyranny. (Credit: AMMV)

By Michael Graham, InsideSources. Ask Vincent Morales, who served in both Afghanistan and Iraq, if America supports its veterans, and he’ll tell you, “Everybody loves a warrior when the enemy is at the gate.” But what about when that warrior comes home and needs healthcare, or housing, or help navigating the VA system? The good […]

Colonna’s Shipyard Recognizes 2025 Apprentice Graduates

Colonna’s Shipyard Inc. honored its 2024 Apprentice Graduates in September, recognizing their completion of over 8,000 hours of on-the-job training and 576 hours of technical instruction. [Pictured from left to right]: Jason McManes, Charles Mooring, Montrez Frost, and Steven Mitchell

By Colonna’s Shipyard Inc.  NORFOLK, VA — OCT. 1, 2025 – Colonna’s Shipyard Inc. proudly recognized four Apprentice Graduates in September. Graduates of Colonna’s Apprenticeship embody the company’s values of Respect, Pride, Truth, and Family and have completed more than 8,000 hours of on-the-job training and 576 hours of related technical instruction. “These graduate apprentices […]

How This Shipyard is Training America’s Next Generation of Shipbuilders

Apprentices graduating from the program will earn an industry-recognized marine electrician certification and the opportunity to advance into First Class Marine Electrical roles at Eastern, a national leading in Jones Act shipbuilding.

By VOICES Staff. As the Trump administration’s focus on domestic energy production drives new opportunities in American shipbuilding, the Jones Act remains critical to workforce development initiatives across the maritime industry. Eastern Shipbuilding Group recently launched an innovative Marine Electrician Apprenticeship Program to grow Florida’s 65,900-strong maritime workforce—but warns that any Jones Act repeal would […]

America’s Shipyards Are Working — and Winning

By VOICES Staff. Across the United States, the shipbuilding industry is booming.  According to WorkBoat’s 2024 Construction Survey, more than 925 vessels were either delivered, under construction, or on order in the past year alone. That includes everything from tugboats and training ships to advanced subsea installation vessels and LNG-ready containerships. Recent milestones in Pennsylvania […]