Record career fair draws more than 130 employers as power demand and nuclear growth widen the search for graduates

CASTINE, ME – Rising electricity demand and an expanding nuclear industry are changing who recruits at Maine Maritime Academy. More than 130 employers sent nearly 350 representatives to campus last week, a quarter of them Maine Maritime alumni. The week ended with the largest career fair in the Academy’s history on October 15.

“Demand for our graduates has never been higher, as this event demonstrated. Employers trust Maine Maritime Academy to produce highly skilled graduates who have received a world-class, hands-on education and are ready to contribute from day one in critical industries at sea and on shore,” said President Craig Johnson.

Three of the world’s largest gas turbine manufacturers, GE Vernova, Siemens Energy and Mitsubishi Power, recruited at the event. Data centers are driving up electricity consumption, and gas turbine sales and the need for skilled people to build and run them have risen with it.

Nuclear employers were a growing presence. According to Professor Paul Wlodkowski, chair of the nuclear program, NextEra Energy, Bechtel, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and General Dynamics Electric Boat are actively pursuing students in the Academy’s Nuclear Engineering Technology program.

“Maine Maritime has become the first maritime academy in the United States with both a major and a minor in Nuclear Engineering Technology. The industry is welcoming this news and our leadership in the workforce development of highly competent nuclear professionals,” said Wlodkowski.

“It’s exciting to participate in this event and witness the growth in demand for the kind of people Maine Maritime puts out into the world. It’s no secret that all these companies and their representatives show up for the same thing, hoping to land a few future leaders from this academy,” said Parker Staley of Global Energy Services Alliance (GESA), a turbine and generator services company.

The Academy’s core maritime employers were also out in force. Shipping companies included Kirby Corporation, Maersk Line Limited, Fairwater and Crowley Maritime Corporation, along with Vane Brothers, which funds a vessel operations technology fellowship at the Academy. Offshore energy companies included Transocean, Hornbeck Offshore and Edison Chouest Offshore. Maine employers included General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, Cianbro, Strategic Maintenance Solutions, Bangor Savings Bank, Versant Power and Avangrid. The U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, Military Sealift Command, Naval Surface Warfare Center and Maine Department of Transportation also recruited on campus.

For more information, contact Michael Dickerson at michael.dickerson@mma.edu.

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