On January 18th, 2024, two representatives of the Northwest Maritime Apprenticeship attended the Washington State Apprenticeship and Training Council (WSATC) quarterly meeting at the Labor and Industries headquarters in Olympia, Washington.

All new registered apprenticeships are given a ‘provisional’ status until an apprentice has been participating in the program for a minimum of one year. The Northwest Maritime Apprenticeship, a four-year registered apprenticeship training Marine Service Technicians launched in October 2022, received official ‘permanent’ status approved by the WSTAC at this quarterly meeting.

Having permanent status, the Northwest Maritime Apprenticeship is eligible for more opportunities including the WA Grant for Apprenticeships. Once approved by the Washington Student Achievement Council, this grant will offer financial aid to current and incoming apprentices through a federal program, ANEW. Also, former military personnel are eligible for Veteran’s Aid while enrolled in this Apprenticeship program.

Sierra Oliver, Program Director, and Deb Granger, Outreach Coordinator, have been working diligently to develop this training program and to spread the word and involve the Whatcom Working Waterfront community. The Northwest Maritime Apprenticeship provides comprehensive training on vessel repair, maintenance, installations, design, and building. Our classes are taught by Subject Matter Experts within the maritime industry with years of experience in a specific discipline. With 21 Instructors, 7 companies in Skagit and Whatcom Counties, we are grateful to all involved for supporting this start-up workforce training program.

We invite interested employers, employees, instructors and supporters to reach out for more information about the program and how to get involved. For more information, contact info@waterfrontfoundation.org.