| ODU, Tidewater Community College plan programs for
maritime industry
Virginia
Business
June 2006 The growth of Hampton Roads’ ports has prompted
two regional schools to launch programs to train workers
for the maritime industry. Old Dominion University’s College
of Business and Public Administration will begin an undergraduate
program
in maritime and supply chain management this fall.
Meanwhile, Tidewater Community College has announced
the creation
of the Maritime and Transportation Center.
In recent years, the Port of Virginia has become the
second busiest on the East Coast. Its rising import traffic
has spurred the creation of distribution centers around
the state. But many maritime industry officials in the
region are concerned about finding skilled workers as
the current work force approaches retirement.
The ODU bachelor’s degree program will be the first
of its kind in Virginia and only the second in the country
after Texas A&M University in Galveston. The program
will require coursework in international shipping, shipping
management and port management, as well as supply chain
management and logistics. ODU already offers a graduate
certificate in port and maritime management and a specialized
maritime concentration in its MBA program. “We
saw a need to educate managers to work for the port and
maritime industries,” says Nancy Bagranoff, dean
of the business school.
Wayne Talley, executive director of
the Maritime Institute at ODU, says program graduates
will find their skills
are in great demand. “Anyone that’s working
with international trade will need employees that have
knowledge of how cargo moves around the world,” he
says.
The Maritime and Transportation Center at Tidewater Community
College will offer career education and training. The
community college is working with more than 30 educational
and industry partners to identify the most pressing work-force
needs in the maritime and transportation industries.
Based on this information, the center will develop programs
leading to a wide range of certificates and degrees.
The center plans to hold an information summit with its
partners this fall.
|
