To better ensure graduating students have the skills and experience needed to secure jobs in ocean-related industries, Oregon State University is hosting a free Blue Economy Workforce Development Workshop in Newport on May 8.
The “blue economy” refers to the vast array of industries connected to the ocean, from shipping and fishing to tourism, ocean energy and more. Workshop organizers are inviting representatives from Oregon universities and community colleges, employers, local workforce development boards and government entities to brainstorm how universities can best serve their students and meet industry needs.
The push for that alignment emerged partly from the growth of OSU’s oceanography major, which was officially added in 2022. While the oceanography-to-graduate-school pipeline is strong, there is less of a clear pathway for students who want to find work in the blue economy upon graduation, said Byron Crump, oceanography professor in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences and lead workshop organizer.
“They needed to use experiential learning credits to get in the door,” Crump said. “Some want to be a marine technician, working on boats or on the coast, handling technology like sensor systems, but that kind of training really only came from internships because we weren’t teaching that in the classroom.”
Crump received a National Science Foundation grant to fund the one-day conference, which will include breakout discussion groups, working meetings and lots of time for networking among representatives from higher education, industry and workforce development.
Rep. David Gomberg from Lincoln County will also join the workshop to talk about the Blue Economy Task Force bill just signed into law to facilitate development of recommendations for growing ocean-related industries “while aligning economic opportunities with effective and efficient environmental stewardship,” similar to OSU’s goals with the workshop.
Oregon Sea Grant is a workshop partner and is one of the strongest links between the university and blue economy industries along the coast, Crump said. He’s currently learning more about workforce development boards in coastal towns, as well as regional training programs available for students from high school to graduate school, such as the aquarium science program at Oregon Coast Community College in Newport.
“Wouldn’t it be cool if our students who are getting this deep look at oceanography could take a class up there (at OCCC) and have it count toward their degree?” he said.
Blue economy-related studies are not limited to CEOAS. The College of Liberal Arts marine studies major focuses on interactions between people and the coastal environment. The College of Agricultural Sciences houses the Marine Mammal Institute as well as undergrad and graduate programs in fisheries and wildlife.
OSU’s Marine and Coastal Opportunities program is a university-wide hub devoted to facilitating coastal experiential learning through the Hatfield Marine Science Center, bringing together students across many disciplines. MACO helps students gain practical skills; find internships, financial aid resources and study abroad opportunities; figure out which degree path is right for them and prepare for careers in marine-related jobs.
With the upcoming workshop, Crump hopes to build on those existing connections and come away with strategies for improving education programs at OSU. That might include more certificate options like the soon-to-be-approved Ocean Technology Certificate, which Crump built with courses in engineering, science, Naval ROTC and oceanography. He hopes the recommendations that come out of the workshop may inform future classes or certificates that can follow a similar structure.
“We know we need to improve our training and entry-level skills that you need for the blue economy,” he said. “OSU is here and training people in skills that will benefit the blue economy, if they can get jobs in the blue economy, so building this network of training programs and hearing from the employers is really important.”
Blue Economy Workforce Development Workshop steering committee:
- Byron Crump, professor, College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, OSU
- Kari O’Connell, associate director, STEM Research Center, OSU
- Matthew Nyman, senior researcher, STEM Research Center, OSU
- Sarah Lu Heath, executive director, Columbia Pacific Economic Development District
- Heather DeSart, executive director, Northwest Oregon Works regional workforce board
- Aylee Rhea, program director, Northwest Oregon Works regional workforce board
- Dan Lara, interim director of Institutional Effectiveness
- Jarrod Hogue, president, Clatsop Community College
- Bill Antilla, maritime expert, Clatsop Community College
- Andone Lavery, executive director, Gaulke Center for Marine Innovation and Technology, OSU
- Michael Harte, College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, OSU
- Angee Hunt, assistant professor of practice, OSU Seafood Laboratory
