'Maritime Center of Excellence' Launched in Long Beach

Port of Long Beach and Long Beach City College leaders officially launched an new program this week to provide opportunities to local students seeking the employment skills they need to join the goods movement workforce.

The Port of Long Beach Maritime Center of Excellence at Long Beach City College will target a variety of programs for occupations in the global logistics and supply chain industries that require more education than a high school diploma, but less than a four-year college degree.

The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners recently approved $60,000 in funding for the program’s first year as a pilot project. The Maritime Center joins the Academy of Global Logistics at Cabrillo High School as a keystone of the Port’s education outreach efforts.

“The Port of Long Beach believes in investing in the future workforce of the goods movement industry, right here in the city,” said Commission President Lou Anne Bynum. “The Maritime Center of Excellence will be designed to offer our local students the boost they need to start solid careers in the biggest industry in Long Beach — goods movement. We thank LBCC for working with us to make this initiative a reality.”

“One of the Long Beach Community College District’s central missions as a community college is to provide instruction, training and services to better educate our local workforce and advance our community’s economic growth and regional competitiveness,” said Long Beach Community College District Board President Sunny Zia. “This opportunity of partnership between the Port of Long Beach and the Long Beach Community College District will foster a growth in well-paying jobs for our students and community members seeking to work within the maritime and goods movement industry. It is a great example of the importance of collaboration between our District and industry partners to further develop and invest in our local economy.”

“Ports and other supply chain companies across the country and around the world are realizing the vital importance of developing a skilled maritime workforce to ensure the future of the goods movement industry,” said Port of Long Beach Executive Director Mario Cordero. “As always, the Port of Long Beach is in the education forefront.”

“Long Beach City College and the Port of Long Beach have a strong partnership of working together to positively impact our community,” said Long Beach Community College District Superintendent-President Dr. Reagan F. Romali. “At LBCC, we have been preparing our students to work in a complex global economy with ever-changing technology needs. This innovative partnership will truly change the lives of our students by providing them education and skills that will transition them from LBCC to the workforce.”

The training at the Maritime Center of Excellence will focus on in-demand occupations which may include jobs like: warehouse and distribution supervisor, transportation supervisor, logistics and supply chain specialist, order processor, shipping and receiving clerk, and scheduler and operations coordinator. As part of the one-year pilot program, LBCC will convene an advisory group with industry partners in 2018 to identify in-demand middle-skills jobs. The goal is to develop non-academic training to meet the needs of local employers, and prepare community members for careers in logistics and supply chain management.