[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 149 (Thursday, October 15, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2544]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   MARITIME WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               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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