Motion 2020-05: Maritime High School Page 1 of 2
MOTION 2020-05:
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A MOTION OF THE PORT OF SEATTLE COMMISSION
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supporting the recommendations of the Maritime
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Secondary Education Advisory Group that call for the
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development of a maritime and ocean sciences high school.
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PROPOSED
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FEBRUARY 25, 2020
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INTRODUCTION
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Booming maritime industries in Washington state lack the qualified workers to meet the
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region’s needs and the inclusive work environments to support the industry long-term. The
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average age of the state’s maritime workforce is 54, the majority of whom are white males,
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owing to structural inequities that have kept women and people of color on the sidelines.
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A high percentage of maritime workers in the Puget Sound region will retire in the next ten
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years. Recruiting young workers to replace them is essential to maintaining a vibrant maritime
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economy in our region. With competitive pay and benefits and good prospects for long term
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employment, maritime jobs should be highly coveted. However, many current and future
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workers are unaware of or lack equitable access to the opportunities in the industry.
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In July of 2019, the Port of Seattle entered into a contract for consulting services with Architects
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of Achievement to create a strategic action plan, to generate stakeholder engagement, and to
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produce a final case statement encapsulating the findings of that work. The case statement
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outlines the consensus of the advisory group formed from key participants. It calls for a public
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secondary maritime education institution and programs in the Seattle area. This effort was
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funded by a $150,000 appropriation approved by the port commission in 2019.
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On February 11, 2020, the final case statement “A Changing Tide,” was presented to the port
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commission.
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TEXT OF THE MOTION
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The Port of Seattle Commission hereby supports the recommendations of the Maritime
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Secondary Education Advisory Group that call for the development of a maritime and ocean
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sciences high school. The outcomes were presented to the commission on February 11, 2020,
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and outlined in the final case statement titled “A Changing Tide.”
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Item Number: 8a_motion
Meeting Date: February 25, 2020
Revised: February 24, 2020
Motion 2020-05: Maritime High School Page 2 of 2
“A Changing Tide” was created by a diverse group of tribal, community, labor, education, and
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industry leaders from the Seattle area and calls for the development of this school to equip
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students who are furthest from economic opportunity and climate-adaptive, new-economy
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jobs in the Puget Sound region.
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The Port of Seattle shall facilitate efforts to convene regional stakeholders, with an emphasis on
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South King County communities and school districts, maritime education non-profit
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organizations, labor and industry, and aligned government agencies, in pursuit of the mission
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and vision, and supported by the guiding principles identified in “A Changing Tide.”
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STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF THE MOTION
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The case statement recommends the development of a maritime and ocean sciences high
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school and reflects the interest from the Duwamish Valley youth residents to locate the high
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school in their community. This recommendation aligns with the port’s Duwamish Valley
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Community Benefits Commitment Policy Directive. A goal of this policy is to support economic
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prosperity in place with anti-displacement solutions in the Duwamish Valley Community that
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create equitable access to training, jobs, career pathways, and port-related economic
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opportunities and requires the port to:
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• Invest in youth workforce development programs that prepare youth in the community
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for opportunities in port-related career pathways
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• Provide outreach and career building trainings to youth
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• Identify opportunities for youth to participate in port-related trades and experiential
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learning activities
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• Partner with educational programs that link youth to career connected learning
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opportunities across all port-related industries
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The Seattle region has created more new wealth than most other metropolitan areas in the
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country, while area schools offer few educational career pathways into maritime careers and
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marginalized communities. Students of color make up more than 70 percent of students in the
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residential areas, like the Duwamish Valley, closest to many of the region’s maritime industries.
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Ideally, these populations should enjoy commensurate representation in the port-related
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workforce. Support for the development of a maritime and ocean sciences high school along
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the Duwamish Waterway supports the port’s commitment to the Duwamish Valley Community.
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