UMass Dartmouth is turning the tide on workforce development in the Blue Economy, proving that the ocean’s future isn’t just for marine biologists. The university’s latest initiatives—from internships to career conferences—are cracking open doors for students across disciplines, showing them how their skills fit into the booming ocean sector. This isn’t just about jobs; it’s about redefining who gets to shape the Blue Economy.
The university’s partnership with Courage Builder is a case in point. Their upcoming early-career conference on October 1 isn’t your typical networking event. It’s a full-day dive into the SouthCoast’s ocean economy, featuring speakers from Fleet Robotics, MathWorks, and Jaia Robotics, alongside students who’ve already cut their teeth in the field. These aren’t just talking heads—they’re the people building underwater robots, training AI to spot fish, and marketing ocean tech startups. They’re proving that the Blue Economy needs more than just scientists; it needs engineers, marketers, and even civil engineers like Malaika Pollard, who thought the ocean wasn’t for her—until she got her hands dirty.
Pollard’s story is a microcosm of what UMassD and Courage Builder are achieving. Their summer internship program didn’t just hand students clipboards and lab coats. It threw them into real-world projects—from training machine learning models to crafting social media campaigns for ocean nonprofits. And the results speak for themselves. Sam Riley, a marketing student, didn’t just polish his resume; he helped the New Bedford Ocean Cluster streamline its branding. Carlos Avila, the cluster’s business development manager, didn’t expect that. But that’s the point. The Blue Economy isn’t a monolith. It’s a patchwork of problems waiting for fresh eyes and diverse skill sets to solve them.
What sets this initiative apart is its focus on equity. Peggy Dias, UMassD’s executive director of IT service assurance, puts it bluntly: “This internship isn’t just about skill-building—it’s about access.” She’s talking about breaking down barriers for students who’ve been historically locked out of STEM and marine industries. By connecting them to real-world opportunities, UMassD isn’t just building a workforce; it’s building a movement.
And the movement is just getting started. The next phase of the grant will fund six interns to continue their work through a project-based course at the School for Marine Science and Technology (SMAST). They’ll tackle everything from plankton analysis to data visualization, all while working under faculty mentors. This isn’t just an internship extension; it’s a runway for students to turn their summer experiences into long-term careers.
Nishita Roy-Pope, CEO of Courage Builder, nails it: “Students are curious and capable. They just need access.” That’s the crux of this initiative. It’s not about creating a pipeline; it’s about tearing down the fences that have kept too many people out for too long. With thousands of jobs on the horizon in the SouthCoast’s Blue Economy, UMassD and Courage Builder are making sure those opportunities don’t just go to the usual suspects. They’re going to the students who’ve been waiting for their shot—and proving that the ocean’s future is as diverse as the people who call it home.