Next Era Xceptional Technology for Shipbuilding and Education in Americas’ Seas
NEXTSEAS is a four-year initiative aimed at strengthening U.S. shipbuilding workforce capabilities through international collaboration, targeted training, and knowledge transfer between Finland and the United States. Led by Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA), the project brings together maritime education, vocational training, and shipbuilding industry expertise to address identified workforce competency gaps and support the adoption of advanced shipbuilding practices in the United States.
Satakunta University of Applied Sciences (SAMK) leads the workforce gap analysis and mapping of applicable curricula and contributes to the development and implementation of the Train-the-Trainer model. SAMK provides expertise in maritime engineering, simulation, digital technologies, and Arctic maritime operations. WinNova contributes vocational education and practical, competency-based training, while Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC) provides industry expertise and access to an operational shipyard environment. On the U.S. side, Bollinger Shipyards contributes to identifying and validating workforce needs and ensuring that training activities respond to industry requirements. U.S. educational partners support the adaptation and potential integration of training modules into existing education and workforce development programs.
The project focuses on identifying specific competency gaps in U.S. shipbuilding, particularly in mid-career supervisory and production-related roles, advanced shipbuilding technologies, and Arctic vessel construction. Activities include workforce gap analysis, mapping of existing education and training programs, development of targeted training modules, and Train-the-Trainer activities in Finland. Training combines classroom instruction, simulation, practical vocational education, and exposure to Finnish shipbuilding and production practices. The knowledge and training methods gained will be adapted to U.S. shipyard operations and educational environments.
Rather than developing an entirely new internationally accredited curriculum, NEXTSEAS aims to establish a framework of targeted training modules that can be further developed, adapted, and integrated into existing U.S. training programs. The project emphasizes building U.S. trainer capacity and transferring applicable knowledge, technologies, and production practices to support long-term workforce development. Through collaboration between educational institutions and industry partners, NEXTSEAS seeks to strengthen U.S. shipbuilding capabilities, improve access to relevant technical expertise, and support the long-term sustainability and competitiveness of the U.S. shipbuilding industry.
Acknowledgement: Funding is provided by the United States Department of Labor under cooperative agreement number IL-26K75IL000030-01-00. 100% of the total costs of the project or program is financed with USG federal funds, for a total of 5,800,000.00 dollars.
