America needs more mariners. So why does the path to becoming one still run through a licensing exam built for a different era?
The problem with the current exam
Aspiring merchant marine officers already prove their competence through years of hands-on training and assessments. Then they prove it all over again on a seven-part written exam that covers much of the same ground, includes outdated content, and lacks a modern review process. The result is a credentialing system that discourages new entrants and eats up time that could go toward the skills today’s fleet actually demands.
At a moment when the industry faces a serious mariner shortage, every unnecessary barrier between a qualified candidate and a credential is a barrier the country cannot afford.
A bipartisan fix
The Mariner Exam Modernization Act, introduced by Representatives Salud Carbajal of California and Mike Ezell of Mississippi, takes a practical approach. It directs the Coast Guard to convene a working group, including mariners who have recently taken the exam themselves, to review the test for accuracy, relevance, and redundancy. The Coast Guard then has 270 days after receiving the group’s recommendations to develop a plan to modernize the exam.
Transportation Institute supports the bill. As TI Vice President of Government Affairs Sara Fuentes said when it was introduced, the Institute “applauds Congressman Carbajal for his leadership in solving the mariner workforce crisis.” TI is in good company: the legislation has drawn support from across the maritime community, including USA Maritime, the Navy League of the United States, and the Consortium of State Maritime Academies, which noted that the bill would reduce redundancy between international STCW requirements and the national exam. Rebuilding the American mariner pipeline requires exactly this kind of practical, bipartisan work.
The bill has already advanced through the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee with bipartisan support.
Read more from Professional Mariner: https://professionalmariner.com/bill-calls-for-coast-guard-to-modernize-merchant-mariner-credentialing-exam/
Additional coverage from gCaptain: https://gcaptain.com/bipartisan-bill-aims-to-modernize-coast-guards-merchant-mariner-credentialing-system/