The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“MARITIME WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ACT” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Transportation was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E2544 on Oct. 15, 2009.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
MARITIME WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ACT
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speech of
HON. SHEILA JACKSON-LEE
of texas
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker I rise before you today in support of H.R. 2651, the ``Maritime Workforce Development Act''. I would like to thank my colleague, Rep. Cummings, for introducing this act, as well as the co-sponsors.
This bill would amend Title 46 of the United States Code to direct the Secretary of Transportation to establish a student loan program to attract the next generation of workers to the good paying jobs available in the maritime industry. The loan program will also help those already in the industry obtain the certifications and training they need to move ahead in their careers.
According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, in 2006, there were more than 38,000 on-the-water jobs in sea, coastal, and Great Lakes transportation, and nearly 23,000 in the inland water transportation industry. Many of those who currently work in the industry are nearing retirement age. Thus, the Maritime Administration indicated that at the time of our hearing, the average age of a mariner with a Master's license was 51 while the average age of a Chief Engineer was 50.
Additionally, significant new standards for training and continuing education have been applied to mariners through the 1995 amendments to the Convention on the Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping. These standards have rightly been set to improve safety in the maritime industry by reducing human factors as the causes of maritime accidents but they have also imposed expensive and time-
consuming training requirements on mariners--particularly on those who are looking to upgrade a document or license to move up the career ladder.
While there are many facilities in the United States that provide outstanding training programs for those seeking to enter or advance in the maritime field, tuition can be very expensive. Further, the types of training programs in which mariners enroll are unique--and are not easily served by existing loan programs. Mariners who have already begun their careers rarely enroll in 2- or 4-year educational programs. Instead, they typically enroll in multi-week courses to obtain a specific new certification--and they enroll in such courses several times a year.
This bill provides a loan program to individuals in the maritime industry that is tailored to their specific needs and to the types of training programs that serve them. Using the model of existing student loan programs, it creates a maritime-focused student loan program through which individuals can receive up to $60,000 in loans over the course of a lifetime. This grant program would support the growing number of maritime-themed educational institutions--including high schools--throughout the country as they work to expand maritime education opportunities and attract new individuals to a field critical to the success of our national economy.
The bill also authorizes the appropriation of $10 million in each of fiscal years 2010 through 2015 to support loans. Additionally, this legislation authorizes the appropriation of $10 million in each of fiscal years 2010 through 2015 to enable the Department of Transportation to award grants to maritime training institutions to support their efforts to develop and implement programs to address mariner recruitment, training, and retention issues.
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