AMP welcomes over 1,100 maritime academy graduates to the industry

Maine Maritime Academy graduates stand at attention at the spring commencement ceremony, May 3, 2025. [Photo: Maine Maritime Academy]

The American Maritime Partnership (AMP), the voice of the U.S. domestic maritime industry, today congratulated the more than 1,100 new graduates from America’s maritime academies. These new maritime academy graduates now join the 650,000 men and women in the American maritime workforce: a key component of U.S. national, homeland and economic security.

AMP notes that this new generation of mariners has chosen a life of service, supporting the movement of goods and energy along America’s coastlines and inland waterways, responding to disasters at home and abroad, and bolstering military sealift capabilities in contested global waters.

Their graduation comes at a pivotal moment, as the Trump Administration and bipartisan Congressional leaders are calling for renewed national commitment to the maritime sector, prioritizing the American shipyards and the expansion of the U.S.-flag fleet.

“These men and women are entering a career rooted in service, and they do so as America rededicates itself to building more ships here at home and sailing them under Old Glory,” said Jennifer Carpenter, president of the American Maritime Partnership. “From Gulf Coast shipyards to the ports of Hawaii and Alaska, a stronger American Maritime means a stronger country. We are proud to stand behind these bright leaders of tomorrow as they help carry out a national mission bigger than themselves.”

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, speaking at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy commencement on June 23, underscored the environment this year’s graduating class enters:

“This administration understands that restoring maritime dominance is critical to America’s national security, and to do that, our nation needs more brave men and women to sail the ships we have now, but the great ships we’re going to build in the future,” said Secretary Duffy. “This mission you’re all about to embark on could not be more important at this very moment when our nation stands on the precipice of potential conflict in the Middle East. Whether it’s the Suez Canal or the South China Sea, there are rough waters ahead.”

The 2025 graduates come from the seven maritime academies in the United States: the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Kings Point, N.Y.), State University of New York (SUNY) Maritime College (Fort Schuyler, N.Y.), California Maritime Academy (Vallejo, Calif.), Great Lakes Maritime Academy (Traverse City, Mich.), Maine Maritime Academy (Castine, Maine), Massachusetts Maritime Academy (Buzzards Bay, Mass.) and Texas A&M Maritime Academy (Galveston, Texas).

Following graduation, many will serve aboard vessels in the domestic fleet, which includes more than 40,000 container ships, freighters, tankers, offshore supply vessels, dredges, tugboats, towboats and barges. Others will contribute their skills to U.S. shipbuilding and repair yards, helping design and construct the next generation of American vessels. Additionally, some will serve in uniform, joining the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, or other branches of the military.

To sail as licensed merchant marine officers, maritime academy graduates must pass a U.S. Coast Guard examination process that includes three days of testing and mastery of complex technical knowledge. Their training combines classroom learning with hands-on experience aboard training ships such as the new U.S.-built National Security Multi-Mission Vessels, and commercial vessels operating under the U.S. flag.