The SMART Center
About the Class
The Southeast Maritime and Transportation (SMART) Center serves as a regional educational resource and an economic model for preparing a sustainable, globally prepared maritime and transportation workforce for the 21st century. The National Science Foundation (NSF) Advanced Technological Education (ATE) Center is led by Tidewater Community College and partners from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and Florida State College at Jacksonville. The mission of the ATE centers is to endeavor to strengthen the skills of technicians whose work is vitally important to the nation’s prosperity and security. In ATE centers, 2-year colleges have a leadership role and work in partnership with universities, secondary education, business and industry, and government agencies to design and carry out model workforce development initiatives. The maritime transportation industry moves more than 2.3 billion tons of domestic and international cargo worth $2 trillion through the US ports. The nation’s economic prosperity is dependent on international trade, of which 95% by volume moves by sea. Maritime and transportation knowledge is critical for careers in shipbuilding, ship repair, seamanship, port management, and logistics. SMART links registered journeyman and apprentice programs with academic credentials. In this way, students earning career studies certificates, which will be embedded in degree programs, can accumulate credits toward associate and baccalaureate degrees.
The SMART Center’s goals include:
- Consolidating education criteria for specific maritime occupations
- Developing SMART career pathways and education programs
- Facilitating the portability of credentials among employers
- Laying the groundwork for future industry-developed certifications,
- Promoting awareness of maritime, transportation, and logistics careers to high school, community and 4-year institution students
