According to KP's Dean Dr. Kumar, 23% of the Class of 2012 went active duty, far less than the 30%+ from other years.
Also, to clarify, less than 50% of most state school grads are taking the Coast Guard licensing test. Of that percentage, less than 50% are passing the exam. Of the amount passing, far less than 50% are engineers. Therefore, the state schools alone are not meeting the need for engineers in the industry by a long shot as evidenced by the fact that engineers graduating from KP (and those licensed engineers from the state schools) are getting multiple and very lucrative job offers - supply and demand 101.) Without Kings Point, the industry would have a very hard time finding enough engineers.
The state schools know they have a problem with getting and retaining engineering majors, especially since there are other choices less rigorous for many of the students. In addition, many of the state schools are trying to replicate the KP model - sending students out on commercial shipping vessels vs. the school ship and requiring more participation in regimental life, which does help with leadership training - programs already in place at Kings Point.
I feel the need to comment. Which I promised myself I wouldn't but oh well.
First State Schools have an almost 100% pass rate when it comes to license. The State Schools only allow those that will pass the license to take the license.
Second license tracks at the State Schools is at an all time low of 57% or at least of as 2009.
Third State Schools are using commercial shipping because it's cheaper and more cost effective for the school than cramming everyone on a training ship. Plus it's free money because the get to charge the student for the privelage of going on a commerical ship as part of their tuition.
Fourth the regiment at the state schools is very minimial, example Maine and CMA (Causual Maritime Academy), Texas (Every Aggie I know went there because the regiment is almost nothing, GLMA (People can have dreads there) with the exception of Mass and for whatever reason the feel like they need to out do KP.
If Kings Point was to close down, the State Schools would fill the void, your not looking at a huge number of Kings Point Engineering graduates (roughly 100 and how many of those actually go to sea, about half).
You can see the numbers here
http://img.marinelink.com/img/Maritime Professional/2009AcademyGrads.html
You can read the following article here.
Licensing Rates for U.S. Maritime Academy Graduates Declining
Only Kings Point and Michigan boast 100 percent performance; overall licensing rate for state academies falls to 59 percent. Graduation and mariner licensing data released this summer by the U.S. Maritime Administration has revealed a worrisome trend at the nation's six maritime academies. According to spreadsheets provided by MARAD in 2007 and 2008, the cumulative licensing rate for maritime academy graduates has fallen to just 59 percent for this year's classes. Last year, that percentage was closer to 61 percent. The trend flies in the face of a critical worldwide shortage of qualified mariners and gives every indication that the problem will only get worse in the near term. Only two academies, the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point and the Great Lakes Maritime Academy boast 100 percent of their graduates in a license track, with Texas A&M University at Galveston not far behind. Even with 13 more total graduates (856) in this calendar year, the total number of those choosing Coast Guard certification fell by 12 individuals. MARAD hopes to improve on those numbers, partly by increasing (effectively doubling) Student Incentive Payments (SIP) to cadets. That financial aid comes with caveats, however. Students in the SIP Program receive quarterly financial subsistence for a maximum of 4 years. In exchange for financial educational assistance the SIP students incur a national service obligation. Maritime Service compliance System (MSCS) track students participating in the SIP Program must then fulfill their national service obligation. The migration of curriculum at many of the maritime academies has occurred gradually over the years, partly as a way to survive in an era (now past, apparently) when ship billets were scarce and graduates found it increasingly difficult to go to sea for a living. As the need for mariners has once again ramped up, however, the corresponding migration back into license programs has not kept pace. Instead, shoreside programs such as stationary powerplant operations and industrial safety careers are gaining increasing popularity. Kings Point cadets (211 this year), of course, all earn a license, a degree and take a reserve commission in exchange for their four year education. Only months after graduation ceremonies were held on campuses across the nation, approximately 85 percent of 2008 graduates with merchant marine licenses from the United States Merchant Marine Academy and six state maritime academies have found employment afloat in the maritime industry or in the U.S. military, according to data released by the Maritime Administration today. "This data indicates that the job market for merchant marine officers remains robust. There is a growing, worldwide demand for fully-trained merchant marine officers and licensed mariners. Excellent training combined with ongoing global trade expansion will continue to make the graduates of U.S. maritime colleges among the most qualified and employable mariners in the world," said U.S. Maritime Administrator Sean Connaughton The Maritime Administration operates the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and provides funding and training ships to Maine Maritime Academy, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Texas Maritime Academy, California Maritime Academy, Great Lakes Maritime Academy, and the State University of New York Maritime College. MarEx readers can view the breakdown of each of the state Academies by clicking
Or Here
http://www.maritimeprofessional.com...seph-Keefe/May-2010/That-Sinking-Feeling.aspx
I will say this, Kings Point need to focus on it's core mission and that is producing merchant mariners for the US market. Which as many posters have said includes tugs/offshore/Deep Sea and Drilling.
It's sad to see the State Schools making the change and Kings Point is doing little to make the adjustment.
A new grad who gets the training for DP can get a job starting out at $110,000 a year working one month on and one month off. Within two years upgrade to second mate and Sr. DPO and make $165,000 year and by the time they are 30 be an OIM making $220,000.
Or an engineer getting a job as a subsea engineer sailing on a drillship and with in 5 years be making $250,000 a year working one month on and one month off. Kings Point should be on the forefront of this. I'm not saying because of pay, but this is the future of the US Merchant Marine. I put in pay because most kids have no idea the opportunities that are lay ahead for them and are told by a staff that hasn't been out to see in 30 years that sailing is a Lykes Lines ship to Africa. The belief that you get to see the world is myth. Spending 6 hours in a remote port is not seeing the world or sitting on a prepo ship in Deigo is not seeing the world, or running a Jones Act tanker from Garyville to Tampa or PE is not seeing the world. If your going to be gone you might as well get paid well for it.