Conference: Fostering Talent for the Future Ocean Technical Workforce

About This Grant

By 2030 it is estimated that the marine industry will employ at least 40 million full time equivalent jobs. The need for resolving complex ocean issues, while developing whole new ventures related to economic stability, environmental health and national security will require a collaborative workforce with a transdisciplinary background. Many of the jobs needed to support these new ventures will not require advanced degrees in engineering or science but rather technical skills and competencies contributed by a number of disciplines, including ocean sciences, engineering, manufacturing, electronics and data science. However, there are few academic programs preparing the ocean technician talent pool with the skills required for the expanding needs of the marine technology workforce. Given the transdisciplinary composition of the ocean technical workforce, a spectrum of schools and programs must be aware of the workforce need and how they can offer pathways for their students to engage as ocean technicians. The Marine Technology Society (MTS) will host a workshop that will convene members of industry, research (government and academia), 2- and 4-year colleges, and the military to: 1) establish awareness and coordination between organizations; 2) identify needed skills/competencies for the ocean technical workforce for a variety of ocean applications; 3) identify pathways/bridges for students from non-oceanography focused programs into ocean technician jobs; and 4) identify education strategies, including alternative pathways (microcredentials) and partnerships with industry. This effort will encourage development of the next generation of ocean technicians and data analysts and support the workforce development efforts required for future ocean monitoring and the Ocean Observing Initiative. The Marine Technology Society will engage representatives of ocean and other blue economy industries together with research (government and academia), 2- and 4-year colleges, and military in discussion of workforce and training needs of the ocean technician talent pool. Marine technician work requires a range of skills from understanding and operating marine platforms, such as Automated Underwater Vehicles, Remotely Operated Vehicles; to sensors, such as sonar and High Frequency radar; to data modeling, visualization, management and communication; to general deck operations and equipment maintenance. In addition to supporting general ocean observing systems, a spectrum of other skills and disciplines are needed from mechanical, computer, biomedical and network engineering, to tele-communications, to instrumentation technology to web development, to business development, all of which need a general understanding of ocean observatories and ocean data sets to apply their disciplinary skill sets. This effort will encourage the next generation of ocean technicians and address a demand for a growing U.S. marine technical workforce. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.