(WPMA) — Western Pacific Maritime Academy presented its maritime training program on Monday evening, Aug. 25, 2025, at Capitol Kitchen.
Captain Michael Bacher, executive director of WPMA, introduced the Academy’s maritime training and workforce placement programs to private and public-school educators in Guam. An entry-level mariner may earn upwards of $8,000 per month.
Bacher highlighted the global seafaring manpower shortage. In 2024, Admiral Sobek reported plans to sideline 17 vessels due to staffing shortages, while the U.S. Maritime Administration documented a shortage of over 1,800 mariners in peacetime alone. Post-Covid, the International Maritime Organization reported a global shortage of 400,000 seafarers. Bacher envisions the Marianas as ready to train the next generation of highly qualified maritime workers needed locally, regionally, and globally.
WPMA’s Entry-Level Seafarer program involves seven days of training and a Merchant Mariner Credential, a federal license issued by the U.S. Coast Guard. WPMA assists graduates in finding high-paying maritime jobs through its workforce placement programs. Over 50 Pacific Island graduates have secured jobs in the local maritime workforce, the Military Sealift Command, and maritime labor unions, including the Seafarers International Union in Agana, Guam.
Bacher awarded certificates of training to Alvin Dorolmar, a 17-year-old student at Career Tech High Academy in Agat, Guam, who successfully completed WPMA’s Entry-Level Mariner training package in April 2025. Principal Wil Castro commented, “Our students don’t just learn — they graduate and lead with industry-recognized credentials that qualify them for deckhand and maritime jobs worldwide.”
WPMA “trains the next generation of mariners” from its location in the CNMI at Northern Marianas Technical Institute and in Guam at the GCA Trades Academy. Since its founding in 2021, WPMA has graduated 157 students from the CNMI and Guam, with over 50 entering the maritime workforce.
“We are incredibly excited to bring our programs to Guam,” said Bacher. “This expansion reflects our commitment to building a stronger, safer, and more resilient maritime workforce throughout the Pacific.” WPMA has become an Eligible Training Provider with Guam’s Department of Labor and looks forward to offering maritime training to aspiring mariners in Guam through the GDOL system. WPMA continues exploring program expansion with all Guam education partners.
Dr. Anita Borja Enriquez, president of the University of Guam, attended the seminar and said, “I am grateful for the opportunity to learn about the new workforce pathways available in the maritime industry and how the University of Guam can collaborate.”
Guam industry representatives, WPMA trainers, and Trustees Charlie Hermosa and Dr. Sam Mabini Young also attended. Hermosa noted, “WPMA’s seminar brought together key stakeholders and educators so that maritime training will ensure Guam continues to play a vital role in the global maritime industry.” He is a graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, New York, and has an accomplished career in the maritime sector.
Young is well known in workforce development, educational, and political circles, and is the founding president of the Guam Association for Career Technical Education.
WPMA is a nonprofit corporation established in 2021, headquartered at Northern Marianas Technical Institute in Saipan, with an office in Guam at the GCA Trades Academy. For additional information on WPMA programs, visit www.wpma.net or email info@wpma.net
Captain Bacher reminds all that “Seafaring is Noble Work.”
Captain Michael Bacher, executive director of the Western Pacific Maritime Academy, talks about its maritime training program at Capitol Kitchen on Guam on Aug. 25, 2025.
Alvin Dorolmar, a 17-year-old student at Career Tech High Academy in Agat, Guam, has successfully completed Western Pacific Maritime Academy’s Entry-Level Mariner training package.
WPMA photos
