STAR Center Center Promoting the Maritime Industry with Junior Achievement of South Florida.
STAR Center and American Maritime Officers (AMO) are helping shape the future of the maritime workforce through hands-on engagement with South Florida youth. As a sponsor of Junior Achievement of South Florida’s JA World “Sea the World” storefront, AMO and STAR Center are bringing real-world maritime career pathways directly to thousands of students each year.
Located within JA World’s Career Discovery Park, the “Sea the World” storefront is an immersive, interactive learning space designed to introduce middle school students to the wide range of opportunities in the maritime and marine industries. The “Sea the World” program reflects a growing industry need: an aging workforce and increasing demand for skilled labor have made early exposure to maritime careers more important than ever.
Through its involvement, AMO and STAR Center are contributing to this mission by highlighting maritime career pathways—from engine room and navigation operations to shipboard leadership as well as logistics. By connecting classroom learning with real-world applications, students gain insight into high-demand, high-wage careers they may not have previously known about or even considered. As a 2024 MARAD Designated Center of Excellence for Maritime Workforce Development, STAR Center takes every opportunity to promote the maritime industry as well as the alternative paths to a career as an officer with AMO including its highly successful TECH Apprentice Engineering program.
The impact of JA World and the Sea the World storefront is significant. Each year, more than 20,000 eighth-grade students from Broward and South Palm Beach counties visit the facility to explore careers and develop financial literacy skills. Over time, the storefront has reached tens of thousands of students—nearly 80,000 since its opening in 2019—demonstrating its effectiveness as a workforce development pipeline.
By supporting the Sea the World storefront, AMO and STAR Center are reinforcing their commitment to maritime industry awareness and workforce development. Their participation not only raises awareness of maritime careers but also positions STAR Center’s training programs as a direct pathway for students interested in entering the industry.
This partnership underscores a shared goal: to inspire the next generation of maritime professionals and ensure a strong, skilled workforce for the future of the U.S. maritime industry.