Growing Maritime Careers Is Critical to Our Community

Here’s a fun fact: two of the Galveston Regional Chamber of Commerce’s founding members—the Port of Galveston and the Galveston-Texas City Pilots—come from the maritime industry. In 2025, they celebrated 200 and 180 years, respectively, while the Chamber marked 181 years of serving this community in 2026. That kind of legacy tells you everything you need to know about how deeply maritime runs through Galveston.

Our port is truly where our story begins. It’s what drew privateer Jean Lafitte here in 1817, and it’s still one of the biggest reasons our community thrives today—supporting a cruise port that now ranks among the fourth busiest in the world.

And the opportunity ahead of us is just as exciting.

With cruise expansion, growth of cargo, and the expansion of Gulf Copper under Davie Defense, demand for a skilled maritime workforce is rising quickly. James Davies, President and CEO of Davie, forecasts “2,000 direct jobs at Gulf Copper and more than 7,000 statewide.” This is a dramatic change to the job market in our community and we must be ready.

Maritime careers don’t just support our local economy—they impact daily life across the country by delivering goods, supporting energy production, and helping protect our nation’s ports. Port of Galveston recent economic figures state the harbor supports approximately 23,683 direct and indirect cruise and cargo jobs.

That’s why the Chamber has been intentional about bringing partners together to focus on workforce development. Through our Maritime Career Pathways Committee, we’ve connected educators, industry leaders, and community partners around a shared goal: preparing the next generation for these careers.

A key outcome of the committee’s work is Maritime Careers Camp, created in partnership with Texas A&M University at Galveston. This free, weeklong experience—scheduled for July 13–17—gives eighth through tenth grade students a hands-on look at the maritime world. From touring a cruise ship and visiting the Coast Guard to learning about welding, offshore operations, and virtual navigation, students get to see firsthand what these careers look like right here at home.

What I love most is how it helps students connect the dots. The ships they see, the port they pass, the industry that surrounds them—it all becomes real and achievable.

And the journey doesn’t stop at camp. Students can continue exploring these pathways through Ball High School’s career and technical education programs, then take the next step at Galveston College or Texas A&M University at Galveston, home to one of just six state maritime academies in the country.

Galveston’s maritime story isn’t just part of our history—it’s a big part of our future. By investing in our students today, we’re strengthening an industry that has supported this community for generations.

If you know a student who would benefit from Maritime Careers Camp, help them apply by emailing seacamp@tamug.edu or calling the Sea Camp Office at 409-740-4525. It’s a small step that could spark a lifelong career—and a stronger Galveston for all of us.