NMEC was established in 2012 to provide a centralized, national voice for maritime workforce development and to address the workforce challenges plaguing our member yards and the industry as a whole, including
 

• An aging labor pool

• A lack of technically skilled workers 

• A lack of defined, standardized skill-sets, curricula, credentials, and career paths for production crafts

• High turnover due to the cyclical nature of the industry

• Increasing competition from industry sectors scrambling to recruit the same workers with similar skill sets from dwindling labor pool

• The lack of a national, cohesive brand and platform to expand the industry's marketing reach

​