Gregg Trunnell, Director of the Pacific Maritime Institute and the , announced the graduation of its first class from the Workboat Mate Program. The MITAGS-PMI Workboat Mate Program takes two years to complete, with 25 weeks of shore-based instruction and 52 weeks of onboard training. Upon graduation the trainee receives a Mate 500-1600 Gross Tons license, with Towing Endorsement (if serving on tugs), STCW-95 Officer in Charge of a Navigational Watch, and an Able-Bodied Seaman Limited endorsement.
"The quality of our trainees has been impressive and, because there are many more applicants than places on board, the companies get to pick and choose the best," Trunnell said. "It's the most cost-effective way for companies to find good people who are willing to invest a great deal of time and money to become a workboat mate." The program's success is inevitable as more companies recognize the benefits and open up onboard training billets."