The maritime industry is a powerful economic engine in the United States, supporting nearly 22 million jobs nationwide and generating billions in wages and economic output. In Louisiana, one in five jobs is tied to the maritime sector. Despite this reality, too many students graduate from high school with little awareness of these opportunities or the training required to access them.
For many families, career conversations still default to a college-or-nothing mindset, even when college may not be the only, or best, path to economic stability. Without early exposure, students may miss viable, well-paying opportunities. Meanwhile, employers face growing workforce shortages. Bridging this gap requires a fundamental shift in how we prepare students for life after high school. It requires intentional workforce development that begins early and is built on strong, sustained partnerships between schools and industry.
At the New Orleans Military and Maritime Academy (NOMMA), we believe career preparation must begin long before students prepare for graduation. Career exploration and skill development are not an afterthought added in senior year, but a core component of our students’ meaningful educational experience. Our maritime program is built on this belief and demonstrates what is possible when schools and industry work together to develop the next generation of maritime professionals.
What is NOMMA?
NOMMA is an A-rated, open-enrollment public charter high school with a distinct mission to prepare students for college, careers or military service through rigorous academics and leadership development. NOMMA serves students from all over the New Orleans metropolitan area in grades 8-12, and all students are cadets in the Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (MCJROTC), which builds discipline, accountability, teamwork and leadership skills. Academically, cadets can pursue multiple diploma pathways, including the TOPS University and TOPS Tech Career diplomas.
NOMMA is one of only a few high schools in Louisiana to offer a dedicated maritime course of study, positioning it as a critical talent pipeline for one of the state’s most essential industries.
Bringing Preparation Into the Classroom
NOMMA’s maritime program integrates rigorous coursework with industry-aligned training and credentials. Maritime students do not simply learn about maritime careers in theory; they prepare for them in practical, measurable ways. Through partnering with Delgado Community College, cadets can earn a Certificate of Technical Studies in logistics while still in high school. This credential positions graduates for immediate employment or continued postsecondary training in the industry.
Students may also pursue internationally recognized credentials, including the Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) and the MSSC Certified Logistics Associate (CLA) and Certified Logistics Technician (CLT) certifications. These credentials give students an advantage as they enter the workforce.
As one of the few high schools in Louisiana offering a formal maritime pathway, NOMMA provides students with early access to industry-aligned training that is rarely available at the secondary level for this industry. I’ve watched students who entered NOMMA with no clear vision of their future gain confidence as they earn certifications, master technical skills and realize that a meaningful career is not only possible but within reach. Those moments are reminders that exposure and preparation can change a young person’s life trajectory.
Exposure That Changes Futures
Many students never pursue maritime careers simply because they have never been exposed to them. Students cannot aspire to careers they have never seen. That is why NOMMA Maritime Day — held this year on Feb. 10 — is a critical component of our program.
Each year, more than 20 maritime organizations partner with NOMMA and We Work the Waterways to engage directly with hundreds of cadets on NOMMA’s campus. Cadets participate in hands-on demonstrations, interactive presentations, and career conversations with professionals from across the maritime, shipping and logistics spectrum. Activities include line handling and throwing, water-rescue simulations, radio communications, a traditional career fair and even firefighting exercises! Maritime Day plays a pivotal role in exposing NOMMA’s cadets to the maritime industry while highlighting the wide range of career opportunities available.
Maritime Day transforms concepts from the traditional high school classroom into tangible possibilities. Students see how classroom learning in math, science, and technology connects to real jobs that offer stability, growth and long-term opportunity. For some students, Maritime Day is the first time they have spoken directly with someone who works on the river, at the port or aboard a vessel. These intentional interactions can spark interest and influence students’ career goals.
Many students never pursue maritime careers simply because they have never been exposed to them. Students cannot aspire to careers they have never seen.
Industry Partnerships Matter
Effective workforce development cannot happen in isolation. Schools alone cannot replicate the expertise, resources or demands of the maritime industry. It requires coordination among schools and employers. At NOMMA, industry partnerships are essential to our program.
NOMMA collaborates with local partners such as Crescent Towing and LabMar Ferry Services to provide students with hands-on experience through internships, job shadowing, facility tours, and volunteer opportunities, giving them firsthand exposure to maritime industry operations while building technical skills, professional confidence and an understanding of workplace expectations. Because of these experiences, students can see themselves as part of the maritime industry.
For employers, these partnerships offer early access to emerging talent and opportunities to shape training around real workforce needs. Rather than reacting to labor shortages, industry leaders can proactively develop a pipeline of skilled young professionals who understand both the technical demands and the culture of maritime work.
A Shared Responsibility
Preparing the next generation of maritime professionals is a shared responsibility that cannot be left to chance. It requires relevant training, early exposure and intentional partnerships that connect students to opportunity. When schools and industry work together, everyone stands to benefit. Industry leaders must see engagement with education not as a charitable effort but as a strategic investment in their future workforce.
I encourage maritime employers, port partners and related businesses across the region to deepen their involvement with NOMMA and other local schools. Offer internships. Open your worksites for job shadowing. Serve as mentors. Lend your expertise to curriculum development. These actions require time and commitment, but the return is a workforce that is better prepared, more loyal and more aligned with industry needs.
As ports invest in infrastructure, automation and new technologies, demand for a skilled and adaptable workforce will continue to grow. Students who graduate with industry-recognized credentials and real-world experience are ready to meet that demand, strengthening businesses, families and the regional economy.
The maritime workforce of tomorrow is sitting in today’s classrooms. Through strong partnerships between schools and industry, New Orleans can ensure that local students will enter maritime careers and be positioned to lead them.
At NOMMA, we are proud to invest in that future every day, one cadet at a time.
Alexis Long is principal of the New Orleans Military and Maritime Academy, an A-rated public charter high school focused on preparing students for college, careers or military service. She may be reached via email at along@nomma.net.
