The Consortium for Oceanographic Research and Education (CORE) and the NSF Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Center in Monterey are coordinating a series of activities designed to target articulation between MATE and the community of research universities and institutions involved in oceanographic science and technology. These universities and other institutions represent a current and future employer for the graduates of marine technology programs. The project is identifying opportunities, tools, and mechanisms for establishing and maintaining a long-term relationship among the oceanographic basic research community and the network of community colleges involved in the MATE program. Marine technicians who are the primarily beneficiaries of two-year college marine technology education programs work in a wide variety of jobs and represent a major portion of the workforce at the oceanographic research universities and institutes in the united States. Three primary areas involving marine technicians are being addressed in the projects: demographics, curriculum development, and infrastructure and management of the workforce. The workshop organized by CORE will use a multifaceted approach to address issues in demographics, curriculum development, and infrastructure. Activities include: (a) a survey of research community to establish baseline data on duties and responsibilities and education of marine technicians; (b) bringing together of a steering committee to define the structure and final questions to be addressed in such a workshop; (c) organizing and convening the workshop itself; and (d) development and widespread dissemination of products relating to workshop activities.
