Posted on July 2, 2025
SEATTLE — As the maritime industry in Seattle continues to expand, so does the demand for skilled workers.
The Golden Bear vessel, docked at Seattle’s Pier 90, serves as a training ground for future maritime professionals.
“We train future merchant mariners,” said Captain Samar Bannister, director of marine programs at Cal Maritime. The program targets high school students, providing them with hands-on experience aboard a working vessel.
Ryan Bonsack, a student from West Seattle, enrolled in the program said, “I’d always loved the idea of working on the water,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity for students like myself who are really interested within the maritime industry to get a foot in the door. Get ahead, learn about opportunities from all different aspects of the industry.”
Training vessels like the Golden Bear are crucial in preparing students for careers in commercial fishing, boat building, ship repair, and maintenance—fields that directly impact the local economy.
“The industry right now is hopping,” Bannister noted.
The ports in Everett, Seattle, and Tacoma facilitate more than $80 billion in trade annually with Asia and play a vital role in supplying goods to Alaska.
Chris Rye, vice president of sales for Tote Maritime Alaska, highlighted the importance of these ports.
“Eighty percent of what comes to Alaska comes through the Seattle-Tacoma area,” Rye said.
“We have two vessels that go from Tacoma to Alaska, Anchorage, twice a week, and we supply all the goods that are actually going up to Alaska,” Rye added.
As the maritime sector continues to grow, the focus remains on educating the next generation of mariners.
“It’s just a great sign of the future of the maritime industry, not only for our crew members and finding mariners, but shipyards, all the under-industries that support the maritime industry,” Rye said.
The Washington State Department of Transportation “Flying T” logo is seen on a ferry at the Kingston Ferry Terminal.
The M/V Chimacum sails into Bremerton.
A Washington State Ferries vessel — seen through the window on another ferry — sails near Seattle in 2023.
A Washington State Ferries vessel sails in Puget Sound.
A Washington State Ferries vessel sails towards Seattle on a sunny afternoon.
