The Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Center is a national partnership of community colleges, high schools, universities, informal educational organizations, research institutions, marine industries, professional societies, and working professionals. MATE's mission is to improve marine technical education and increase the number of highly-skilled technical professionals who enter ocean-related occupations. The Center characterizes and researches trends in the ocean workforce, identifies the knowledge and skills this workforce needs, places this information in the hands of educational institutions at all levels, and works to ensure that curricula and programs are appropriately preparing students to meet workforce needs. MATE's programs represent unique approaches to engaging students in STEM learning experiences and developing the capacity for increasing the nation's technological workforce. The geographic distribution of MATE partners makes products of this Center available to a broad audience; the strategies developed as a result of MATE's research into barriers of participation help to engage and involve traditionally underrepresented groups. These efforts prepare a diverse workforce that ensures U.S. competitiveness in a global economy that is currently, and increasingly, dependent on ocean activities.
