Rep. Hartnett floats maritime education proposal with The Citadel

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Aug 8
3 min read

By Charleston Mercury Staff

Rep. Thomas F. “Tom” Hartnett, Jr. (R-S.C. House 110) is piloting a proposal that could improve educational and job opportunities for South Carolinians keen on the maritime industry. Rep Hartnett met with Brigadier General Sally C. Selden, Ph.D., provost and dean of The Citadel, this past Wednesday afternoon to discuss the potential creation of a South Carolina Maritime Academy — an initiative aimed at addressing critical workforce shortages in the U.S. maritime industry while expanding access to high-paying maritime careers for S.C. residents.

When asked to describe Gen. Selden’s reaction to the proposal, Rep. Hartnett responded that he was encouraged by the meeting.

Despite hosting one of the nation’s busiest and most strategically significant ports, S.C. remains the only East Coast state with a tier 1 port that does not offer a state-supported maritime training program. Currently, aspiring Palmetto State mariners must seek licensure out of state — often at prohibitively high tuition rates — at institutions like Texas A&M Maritime Academy or SUNY Maritime College.

“South Carolina is a global maritime leader without a formal training academy to match it,” said Rep. Hartnett. “Establishing a maritime academy at The Citadel will give our citizens a direct, affordable pathway to lucrative maritime careers that are currently out of reach for too many.”

The proposed academy could be housed within The Citadel’s existing academic and leadership framework, offering degrees in marine engineering, logistics and transportation, along with U.S. Coast Guard-licensed officer training. By leveraging Charleston’s port infrastructure and The Citadel’s military structure, the academy would provide immediate access to real-world maritime experience through partnerships with local shipyards, port operators and federal Ready Reserve Force vessels.

According to John Cameron, current executive director of the Charleston Pilots, “It’s clear that states with maritime academies provide fulfilling opportunities in the global marine industry to their residents. Merchant officers who go on to leadership roles in shipping companies, insurers, admiralty law firms, port administration, logistics and other related industries are more likely to be from a state with an on-ramp to the marine industry through the gates of their state maritime academies. South Carolina ought to be one of them.”

Local support also extends to Bradley Kerr, director of sales and marketing at Detyens Shipyards and past chairman of the Maritime Association of S.C. He said, “The Merchant Marine license, issued by the United States Coast Guard, in collaboration with The Citadel’s Regiment of Cadets, would represent a strategic partnership ideally aligned with the needs of S.C. and Charleston’s dynamic maritime community.” Kerr is especially concerned about how to deal with finding future personnel.

He said: “The maritime industry faces significant challenges in meeting the growing demand for a skilled workforce. To ensure the future security and resilience of our nation’s maritime infrastructure, we must establish accessible and robust pathways for local and state students to pursue careers in critical fields such as marine engineering, naval architecture, marine mechanics and logistics, thereby fortifying our shipyards and logistical framework.”

Kerr points to a critical issue, as more than 50 percent of current merchant marine officers are expected to retire within the next 15–20 years. The national shortfall in credentialed mariners is already impacting shipping and logistics industries, and the U.S. academies currently graduate fewer than 1,500 licensed officers annually — well below the estimated need of more than 2,200 per year.

“This academy is about accessibility,” Hartnett emphasized. “It’s about breaking down financial and geographic barriers so South Carolinians can enter a field that offers stability, adventure and high-paying salaries throughout a lifetime.”

One of the best parts of this proposal is that it is fiscally responsible. The proposed S.C. Maritime Academy would not require the state to build a standalone campus from scratch. Instead, it would integrate with The Citadel’s existing infrastructure, reducing startup costs and accelerating the academy’s launch timeline. Early projections show a strong return on investment, with graduates earning starting salaries between $65,000 and $90,000 and lifetime career earnings that often exceed $4 million. According to Rep. Hartnett, “These are conservative numbers compared to what I have been seeing of the jobs offered to recent Texas A&M Maritime Graduates”.

Rep. Hartnett looks forward to putting together a working group in the coming months to explore the next steps with The Citadel, the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education and maritime industry partners.