Delco Community College wins national recognition

Named a Center of Excellence in Education and Training for the U.S. Maritime industry

MARPLE TOWNSHIP >> Delaware County Community College has been selected by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration as a Center of Excellence for Domestic Maritime Workforce Training and Education.

The college is one of only 27 institutions nationwide to be given the recognition.

The designation recognizes Delaware County Community College for preparing students for careers in the U.S. maritime industry. The Maritime Administration will work with the center of excellence designees “to help advance recruitment of students and faculty, enhance facilities and award student credit for military service,” according to a press release.

“This is exciting news for our students and our institution. It is a testament to the solid partnerships the college has forged over many years with business and industry, union, federal, state and community leaders to the benefit of thousands of students and the Greater Philadelphia region,” Delaware County Community College President Dr. L. Joy Gates Black, said in the release.

In a letter to Gates Black, acting Maritime Administrator Lucinda Lessley said the center of excellence designation recognizes the value the college “provides to our nation” by preparing students to work in the maritime industry.

“Your graduates have made outstanding contributions to the industry over the years which is an excellent testimonial to the superior academic and professional education and training they received while attending Delaware County Community College,” Lessley said.

In selecting the college for the 2021-2022 Center of Excellence program year, the Maritime Administration cited the college’s history of working with various segments of the Philadelphia maritime industry to offer essential education, training and apprenticeships in welding, shipbuilding, foundry, rigging, safety, crane operations, industrial skills leadership, transportation and logistics, cargo and casting, and molding.

The Maritime Administration also cited the college’s union and business and industry partnerships, including the Collegiate Consortium for Workforce and Economic Development — a partnership consisting of Drexel University and the five regional community colleges: Community College of Philadelphia, Bucks County Community College, Delaware County Community College, Montgomery County Community College and Camden County College in New Jersey.

In selecting Delaware County Community College as a center of excellence, Maritime Administration also noted the college’s recently created office of diversity, equity and inclusion as a way of sharing diverse ideas and creative expressions among students and fostering a climate of respect in the broader community.

Housed within the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is the Center for Equity and Social Justice, “which expands the dialogue beyond the college to the broader community and helps dismantle systems of racism and social injustice,” noted Maritime Administration in recognizing the college.

The Center for Equity and Social Justice was conceived by Dr. Gates Black last summer as a “catalyst for community engagement, education and enlightenment around issues of inequity and social justice,” the release stated.

Authorized under the National Defense Authorization Act of 2018, Maritime Administration’s Center of Excellence program is designed to assist the maritime industry in gaining and sustaining a well-trained labor force while enhancing diversity and inclusion in the industry. Center of excellence designees include community colleges and training institutions located in 16 states and one U.S. territory.

“These institutions play pivotal roles in our nation’s maritime industry by providing the training and skills students need to begin and advance careers afloat and ashore,” Lessley said.

For more information, visit www.maritime.dot.gov/education/maritime-centers-excellence.

Delaware County Community College’s main campus is located at 901 Media Line Road in Marple Township. The college also has locations in: Sharon Hill and Upper Darby in Delaware County and Downingtown, Exton, West Grove in Chester County. For more information visit https://www.dccc.edu/.