{"id":184772,"date":"2024-06-14T09:37:43","date_gmt":"2024-06-14T13:37:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/?p=184772"},"modified":"2024-06-14T09:37:44","modified_gmt":"2024-06-14T13:37:44","slug":"developing-an-ocean-workforce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/publications\/aboard-gso\/developing-an-ocean-workforce\/","title":{"rendered":"Developing an Ocean Workforce"},"content":{"rendered":"

New academic programs are meeting the needs of future
workers in the Ocean State\u2019s blue economy.<\/p><\/div><\/div>

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Apply site-wide<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n

By Ellen Liberman<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Rennie Meyers knew she wanted to work in an ocean-related field since she was a teenager in the Bronx, volunteering as a docent at the New York Aquarium on Coney Island. Her career path included stints as a master diver in Puget Sound and at the National Science Foundation\u2019s Division of Ocean Science, earning a master\u2019s degree in marine affairs, studying artificial reefs as a Watson Fellow, and in Washington D.C., navigating congressional appropriations and policy as a Knauss Public Policy Fellow. Today, she\u2019s based in Denmark, helping the world\u2019s largest offshore wind developer, \u00d8rsted, shape the global policy portfolio for ocean health and biodiversity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was eager to help find solutions to hard problems in an industry that is going to help us address the climate crisis and hopefully address the ocean biodiversity crisis in the process,\u201d she says. \u201cThe great thing about working in the blue economy is there\u2019s so many different ways you can contribute to sustainable oceans, and so many different types of work to do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Aquaculture, a familiar livelihood on Narragansett Bay, is seeing new growth in the blue economy.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Natalie Lynch wanted to be a police officer, but a couple of months into a criminal justice program at the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) was enough to persuade her that college was not right for her. Less than a year later, the 19-year-old from Narragansett was back at CCRI to take a five-week maritime sheet metal training course at the Westerly Education Center. In collaboration with Electric Boat (EB), the program prepares students for the basics of naval ship building\u2014how to interpret construction drawings, and how to layout, fabricate, assemble and install light-gauge metalwork. Now she\u2019s bending metal and working with welders at EB\u2019s Quonset facility. Lynch is jazzed about the pay, the retirement benefits and the job itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI knew nothing when I first went, but the training taught me a lot,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s a lot of teamwork and I love it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Potential for Prosperity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In 2023, the Grow Blue Partnership, a state coalition of industry and environmental groups, government agencies and academic institutions, including the University of Rhode Island (URI), defined the blue economy as \u201cthe sustainable use of the ocean to create a resilient economy and good paying jobs.\u201d And, it is worth billions. The United Nations estimates the value of the ocean global economy at $2.5 trillion dollars annually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Rhode Island, that figure is $5 billion, and growing. The Partnership forecasted it will double in 10 years and, by 2034, the blue economy in R.I. will create 54,000 new jobs in industries such as ports and shipping, tourism and recreation, offshore renewable energy, the marine trades, aquaculture and fisheries and defense. About 36,500 Rhode Islanders already work in this sector, and their impact on the state is proportionally larger than the numbers suggest, says Jennifer McCann, director of U.S. coastal programs at GSO\u2019s Coastal Resources Center, and author of the 2020 report \u201cThe Value of Rhode Island\u2019s Blue Economy.\u201d Unlike other coastal states, it is not measured in multiple billions or trillions of dollars, she says, but a significant percentage of Rhode Islanders work in the blue economy, some six to nine percent compared to three percent elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have a stronger connection to our blue economy. The value is not just economic. It\u2019s much more comprehensive\u2014it includes advocacy, governance, protection and research,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd in Rhode Island, we need to capitalize on our three degrees of separation\u2014that\u2019s a strength because we know each other. We\u2019re very innovative and creative, and I think we need to build upon that, too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

The great thing about working in the blue economy is there\u2019s so many different ways you can contribute to sustainable oceans, and so many different types of work to do.<\/blockquote>\u2014Rennie Meyers<\/cite><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n

Filling the ranks of the future ocean workforce is now a statewide project among industry, government and academia, with GSO playing a meaningful role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPure discovery-driven science in the exploration of our unknowns on this planet\u2014ecologically, scientifically, technologically\u2014is absolutely critical to a healthy economy globally,\u201d says GSO Dean Paula Bontempi. \u201cThe blue economy is a fairly new phrase in economic sectors, but it\u2019s existed forever. We would not know anything about how to manage those resources sustainably if we did not have the infrastructure to actually make those observations in the ocean. And that discovery-driven science needs to be translated into management and policy using relevant and ready science. That\u2019s one thing people on URI\u2019s Bay Campus have been doing extensively for over five decades\u2014taking all that discovery-driven science and making it relevant, digestible and implementable to managers and policy makers, not just statewide, but worldwide.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rhode Island Sea Grant, for example, supports seven internship and fellowship programs in coastal management, and in ocean research, law, communications, community engagement and public policy. In the latest reporting year, February 2022 through January 2023, these programs supported 25 undergraduate students in research, extension, or communications internships and another 65 graduate students and Knauss public policy fellows. According to Sea Grant\u2019s outcomes data, within that period, they enabled 24 graduate students to get well-paid ocean professional positions\u2014Meyers is one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Sectors of Rhode Island\u2019s blue economy include commercial fishing, ports and shipping, and tourism and hospitality.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of effort to train people across the different levels and interests and the kind of time frames that people are looking at,\u201d says Tracey Dalton, professor of marine affairs and director of Rhode Island Sea Grant. \u201cThere\u2019s also been a lot of effort to build connections between the blue economy and climate resilience and jobs that have been historically around and related to these issues\u2014like landscapers or real estate agents or people in construction\u2014and figure out how to better train people for these jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On-Point Education<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For the last several years, GSO has been expanding its offerings to address this need. In June 2023, it graduated the first 12-student cohort of the virtual Masters of Oceanography degree program, geared toward applicants with a STEM background. Most of the students were working professionals employed in ocean-related jobs. Professor of oceanography Arthur Spivack, who led the program\u2019s development, says they performed well in the online space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy initial skepticism changed to enthusiasm as a result of seeing how the students valued the program and how it\u2019s helped them,\u201d he says. \u201cWe traditionally have worked in person, so I didn\u2019t know how good students would be until I actually started working with them and saw how effectively they learned the material.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More recently, GSO launched a 12-credit Ocean Science Graduate Certificate for students, which can be paired with the Master of Public Administration program, who want to focus on ocean policy. GSO is in discussions with URI College of Business to have the Ocean Science Certificate accepted in the Master of Business Administration program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBased on people who\u2019ve inquired about our programs, there\u2019s a lot of people who need to know about modern ocean science results, but who are not scientists,\u201d says Spivack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

GSO will further boost its efforts to boost blue economy workforce development should it win a $1.85 million grant. A pro\u00adposal for a three-year program has been made in response to a NOAA grant competition funded by the 2023 Inflation Reduction Act. The Climate Ready Workforce for Coastal States, Tribes, and Territories Competition expects to award 10 to 20 projects with federal funds of $500,000 up to $10 million. Each project must support partnerships that develop workforce training programs for the skills most in-demand in that regional economy and offer wrap-around services to participants to ensure their training and employment success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

GSO\u2019s grant application, Developing Multiple Pathways of Workforce Development for Climate Resilience in Rhode Island and Coastal New England, would work with CCRI and the state Department of Labor and Training (DLT) to develop and deliver a climate-resilience curriculum that addresses state workforce needs in healthcare, insurance, maritime, and ocean research sectors. Led at GSO by associate dean of academic affairs Robert Pockalny, assistant dean of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) initiatives Princess Metuge, and Spivack, the program would create new climate resilience credentials, certificates and degrees at CCRI and URI. It includes lectures for healthcare professionals, on-line and in-person week-long modules for insurance professionals, hands-on experiences for maritime crews, and full courses for an evolving degree track for oceanographic instrumentation technicians.<\/p>\n\n\n

It is a constant focus\u2014giving our students the opportunities that other students across Rhode Island have always had at their fingertips.<\/blockquote>\u2014\tVice President Jennie Johnson, Workforce Partnerships, CCRI<\/cite><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n

For CCRI, this program would be a natural fit. The two-year college already works with Rhode Island Commerce, the Rhode Island Building Trades Council, Rhode Island Building Futures, the DLT and area employers to deliver training programs for prospective workers in a way that accommodates their students\u2019 need for transportation, and work, family and financial obligations, says Jennie Johnson, CCRI\u2019s vice president for the Division of Workforce Partnerships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
CCRI students train at the offshore wind safety training center on the Lincoln Campus. Students who complete the Global Wind Organization (GWO)-certified Basic Safety Training curriculum receive credentials required for working offshore.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s always top of mind,\u201d she says. \u201cFor example, we were just re-designated a hispanic serving institution. So, it is a constant focus\u2014giving our students the opportunities that other students across Rhode Island have always had at their fingertips and creating a workforce that is reflective of the diversity of our state.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DLT will assist with job placement and collaborate with community-based organizations to provide case management services for necessities such as housing, nutrition, and transportation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bulk of the grant would go to CCRI, an important partner in putting together the proposal and in designing the curriculum, says Pockalny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pockalny says he learned the importance of a holistic student-centered approach during the Authentic Cruise Research Experience for Underrepresented Students Program. Funded by the National Science Foundation, it gives undergraduate students from CCRI, UMass Boston, and Puerto Rico a spot on a research cruise. But meshing research cruise schedules with the life circumstances of CCRI students proved difficult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was tough. There was a lag and the students had either graduated or their lives changed. We had one student who had to drop out of the program, because even though we compensated the students for their time during the workshop and cruise, she had multiple jobs, and couldn\u2019t leave her family,\u201d he says. \u201cWe didn\u2019t really know the life experiences of a lot of these students. It was eye-opening about the limitations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c[CCRI] really jumped at this opportunity and homed in on what\u2019s possible, because they understand those students and the resources they need to evolve and how to create those pathways for better lives, jobs and careers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Rising Tide That\u2019s Lifting All Boats<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNow the focus is partly around drawing other people into the GSO space to augment themselves professionally or bring in people who may not have intersected, or thought they would ever intersect, with GSO by looking downstream to people getting associate degrees and people already in the workforce,\u201d Bontempi says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s a wide swath of Rhode Island workers who could benefit, says Matthew Touchette of Commerce Rhode Island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne of the most compelling things about the blue economy is that only about half of the jobs require a full four-year degree. This has immense potential for increasing wage equity, median household incomes and Rhode Island\u2019s GDP overall. We anticipate needing many jobs in the offshore wind and ocean renewable energy fields\u2014offshore wind is set to move from less than 1,000 jobs total in the nation in 2022 to between 15,000 and 58,000 more jobs annually, according to the Department of Energy\u2019s National Renewable Energy Laboratory. And we anticipate big growth in undersea ocean technologies,\u201d he says. \u201cMore importantly, a lot of these jobs aren\u2019t prevalent in our economy today. This means our youth as well as those workers looking to reskill aren\u2019t easily exposed to potential opportunities in the blue economy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important that we build out this growth sector. We are the Ocean State, and there are numerous scalable commercial opportunities. So, it\u2019s front and center in our thinking: how to get the greatest return on our investments with limited resources,\u201d says John Willumsen, a senior advisor to DLT\u2019s director, Matt Weldon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe know these are going to be highly technical jobs,\u201d says Alyssa Alvarado, executive director of the Governor\u2019s Workforce Board. \u201cAnd we want to ensure they are available to Rhode Islanders. We don\u2019t want to have to bring in labor from other places to perform this work, whether it\u2019s a crew from a southern state or from Europe, and they work for six months. Yes, they put some funding into the economy, but then they\u2019re gone, and Rhode Islanders who could have had that career are left out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

More people are interested in what else they can do with their science besides just the science. They are asking: \u2018How can I make change?\u2019<\/blockquote>\u2014Emily Patrolia, \u2019G16<\/cite><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n

Ensuring that this future workforce is diverse will be key to its success, says Metuge. Currently, GSO has a diverse ocean science student population of 14%\u2014a seven-fold increase over its historical 2%, and twice the national geosciences average of 7%. But Metuge sees room for improvement in how students are recruited and given research lab opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOften, when people hear about diversity, equity and inclusion, they equate it to providing access to people of color, which is only a minute part of it. DEI is important, because it allows people to understand that everyone, regardless of who they are, where they come from, has something to bring to the table,\u201d she says. \u201cTraditionally, in academia you don\u2019t see a lot of racial diversity, but if you\u2019re going to be part of an effort to create a future workforce that embraces that concept, what do you have to do to achieve that? You cannot diversify GSO by doing what you\u2019ve been doing for 60 years. We have to be able to understand how important and beneficial it is to everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the meantime, the most recent entrants into the blue economy workforce see expansive career horizons and ways URI can help move them forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2020, former Knauss fellow Emily Patrolia, \u2019G16, opened her own ocean lobbying shop, ESP Advisors, to support her federal, NGO and commercial clients in their efforts to write regulations or win federal support. She says that URI\u2019s evolution towards creating flexible tailored programs with practical applications aligns with what she hears from graduate students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI participate in a number of career panels, and even though I did not graduate all that long ago, I am seeing some shifts,\u201d she says. \u201cMore people are askin what else they can do with their science besides just the science. They are asking: \u2018How can I make change?\u2019 Having the options to learn about the different levers that they could pull as scientists could be really appealing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ryan Doherty, 19, is an entry-level electrical worker at EB, and a graduate of a CCRI-EB training program. For now, he\u2019s laying cables, but he\u2019s also looking ahead to becoming an apprentice, earning an associate\u2019s degree at CCRI\u2014and maybe a bachelor\u2019s in electrical engineering at URI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSome people call this a job. I think of it as a career, somewhere I\u2019d like to develop,\u201d he says. \u201cThe blue economy right now is a booming industry with a lot of positions and ways to work up. I think it\u2019s a great place for younger people who are looking to get into change.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Ellen Liberman Rennie Meyers knew she wanted to work in an ocean-related field since she was a teenager in the Bronx, volunteering as a docent at the New York Aquarium on Coney Island. Her career path included stints as a master diver in Puget Sound and at the National Science Foundation\u2019s Division of Ocean […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2120,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[7,1987],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-184772","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-aboard-gso","category-publications"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/184772","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2120"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=184772"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/184772\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":184780,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/184772\/revisions\/184780"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=184772"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=184772"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=184772"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}