Item: 10c_supp Date: September 9, 2025 MARITIME WORKFORCE INVESTMENTS Presented By: Anna Pavlik and Robert Brown III 1 Commission Orders Career launch pilot in the maritime industry for Puget Sound youth and adults aged 16-24 years 2022-02 Establish Youth Career Launch initiative with $2.1M to pilot workforce development preparation and launch opportunities for youth 2022-05 Increase the three-year investment in the Youth Career Launch Program from $2.1 million to $4.1 million 2024-11 Extend Youth Maritime Career Launch one more year through 2025 2 Youth Maritime Career Launch Guided pathway to entry-level maritime careers for young adults (18-24) furthest away from opportunity. • Recruitment Community Partners MITAGS/Compass Courses/AK Consulting • 1-2 Week Training • 3 Month Internship Sea Potential • Alumni Meetings Urban League/WA Maritime Blue + Maritime Companies 3 Youth Maritime Career Launch Guided pathway to entry-level maritime careers for young adults (18-24) furthest away from opportunity. Budget: $4.1M (2022 -2025) Projected Spend: $2.04M (2023 - Q4 2025) Recruit youth (via subcontractors), identify internship sites, convene employers, prepare and support youth before and during internships • Washington Maritime Blue ($763k, 3 years) • Urban League of Metro Seattle ($581k, 3 years) • PolyTech ($200k, CLOSED) Provide retention services • Sea Potential ($14k, 3 years) 4 Additional Maritime Investments • Maritime High School ($1,125,000, 5 year) 134 students were enrolled, a 10% increase from prior school year First graduating class (31 graduates) • CorePlus Maritime ($49,000, 1 year) STCW curriculum development for high schools • Sea Scouts ($20K, 1 year) Conducted two cruises aboard the Propeller with YMCL interns SeaScout volunteers attended racial equity training 5 Impact Youth Maritime Career Launch 2023 2024 (Two Cohorts) 2025 YTD TOTAL Enrollments 40 33 30 100 Training Completions 25 28 30 83 Placements into Internships 18 24 23 65 Internship Sites 10 9 12 18 $19.14 $21.09 $21.09 $20.60 Hourly Wage at time of placement 6 Impact Youth Maritime Career Launch by Race and Gender (2023 - 2025) Percentage of Enrollments Black/African-American 69% White 7% Asian 5% Latinx 12% Two or more races 7% Male 78% Female 20% Non-binary 2% 7 8 Successes • More employer hosts in years 2 and 3 with better traction with shoreside employers and employers with aligned missions. • Partnerships with community-based organizations helped build trust and connect youth to maritime opportunities. • Hands-on exposure to maritime careers sparked genuine interest and helped youth see themselves in the industry. 9 Challenges • Hard to gain buy-in from employers due to internship parameters. • Participants needed more technical training upfront; employers had limited capacity to train from the ground up or onboard interns without prior skills. • Youth face barriers to employment - location of training and jobs, industry culture not always welcoming. • Contract deliverables were aspirational. • Difficult for non-profit community partners to build relationships in white, male-dominated private industry. 10 Industry Challenges & Opportunities • Jobseekers don't have sufficient experience or skills to meet employer needs • Employers have limited capacity to act workforce issues • Workforce is not representative of our diverse, nearport communities • Jobseekers can't acquire sea time to qualify for entry roles • Community members are unaware of maritime opportunities • Aging workforce • Technological advances Marina • Federal policy and investments Manager Welders Marine Electricians Tug and Barge Deckhand Diesel Mechanics Propulsion, Hydraulics & Pneumatics 11 Drivers of Success Goal: Prepare and place near-port community members in maritime careers to meet employer demand Jobseeker Community Organizations Training Providers Employer Career Information Access Classroom Involvement Wraparound Supports Welcoming Work Environment Skills and Credentials Career Progression Opportunities Workforce Development System/Public Agencies Industry Associations 12 Recommendations - Phase 1 Proposed strategies are informed by feedback from program participants, CBOs, employers, and regional maritime workforce leaders, as well as program data on employment outcomes. • Align Outreach with Education Partners -Connect recruitment efforts to Core Plus Maritime classrooms, Maritime High School, SKCF awardees and others who promote maritime career awareness • Increase Participant Preparedness - Replace internships with career services - Prepare participants with post-secondary education prior to hire Examples include: - Maritime Shipyard Programs - Pre-Apprenticeships - Additional trainings, certifications & qualifications (i.e., TWIC, MMC, SCTW, OSHA 10, sea time accumulation) 13 Recommendations - Phase 1 • Organize services based on shoreside and underway career tracks - Phase 1: Start with shoreside careers - Phase 2: to incorporate underway careers and other shoreside careers (e.g. logistics) • Expand beyond 18-24-year-olds - Focus on near-Port communities, structurally excluded, Duwamish, Suquamish, Muckleshoot, reentry population • Increase Employer Involvement - Engage industry associations - Hire an industry liaison for job placements 14 Current Model Recruitment 1-2 Week Training Internship Alumni Meetings 15 New Model Phase 1 (2026) (Working on land) 1 - 6 Month Training + Career Services Underway Track Phase 1 (2026) Shoreside Track Recruitment Direct Hire Assessment (Working on water) Connections to Scholarships/Direct Hire Phase 2 (2027) Underway Training/ Sea time Accumulation 16 Next Steps • Continue to network with employers, community partners and industry leaders to inform linkages to career awareness, underway careers, Teal New Deal, etc. • OEDI's goal is to release solicitation(s) as soon as possible and enter in contract in Q2 2026, with services provided in Q3 2026 through Q4 2028. 17 Thank you to our YMCL partners! 18 QUESTIONS? 19