2025: Blue tech programming ushers in the future of the ocean workforce

Early-career events and real-world projects connect UMassD students to the opportunities driving the SouthCoast’s ocean economy.

UMass Dartmouth is helping shape the next generation of ocean innovators, building a skilled and inclusive workforce for the region’s rapidly expanding Blue Economy. Through research, hands-on learning, and partnerships with industry and community leaders, UMassD connects students across disciplines (not just marine science) to the opportunities emerging in ocean technology, sustainable fisheries, coastal resilience, and maritime business. 

Together with local nonprofit Courage Builder, UMassD will host a one-day early career conference on Wednesday, October 1, designed to connect students with leaders from across the SouthCoast region who are shaping the Blue Economy. The event will feature speakers and panelists from MathWorks, Fleet Robotics, Jaia Robotics, Ocean Nexus and more, as well as firsthand accounts from UMassD students who took part in the Blue Technologies and Innovations Career Pathway Internship earlier this year.  

Summer 2025: Blue Technologies and Innovation Career Pathways Internship 

This summer, fourteen undergraduate and graduate students from UMass Dartmouth’s Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business, and Engineering took part in the Blue Technologies and Innovation Career Pathways internship thanks to the partnership between UMassD and Courage Builder (formerly known as Tribe Academy).  The experience included professional development workshops, field trips, and practical work experience solving real-world problems. Internship hosts included various research groups at the School for Marine Science and Technology (SMAST), Fleet Robotics, and the New Bedford Ocean Cluster.  

The 10-week paid internship was supported by funding UMassD received as part of an $8M investment in bolstering our region’s role in the Blue Economy. 

“I didn’t think there was a place for me in the Blue Economy, but now I see that there is.”

A multidisciplinary experience  

From biomedical engineering to robotics and marketing, the internship cohort spanned a wide variety of majors and projects, including:   

• Training machine learning models to detect fish activity captured on underwater video  
• Crafting a social media marketing campaign for a local ocean-focused nonprofit organization 
• Collecting and analyzing water samples on Cape Cod 

“I didn’t think there was a place for me in the Blue Economy, but now I see that there is,” said civil engineering major Malaika Pollard ’26. Pollard’s statement captures the sentiment shared by many of the participants, who said they gained a new appreciation for the career options available in the booming ocean sector.

Carlos Avila, business development manager at the New Bedford Ocean Cluster, said of business intern Sam Riley ’25:  “Sam’s strengths in marketing were evident from our first meeting, but what we couldn’t have foreseen was his desire to learn about our organization and the many facets that make New Bedford a leader across industries. Sam helped us streamline our social media strategy, align our branding and marketing with our goals and work that was underway. He was a perfect fit, and we were happy to have been able to provide him with a unique and exciting experience. The Blue Tech Internship did a great job preparing him and his classmates for their opportunities and we look forward to partnering again in the future.” 

A stronger, more inclusive ocean workforce 

“This internship isn’t just about skill-building—it’s about equity, access, and empowerment,” said Peggy Dias, executive director of IT service assurance.  “We’re committed to ensuring that students from all walks of life, especially those historically underrepresented in STEM and marine industries, see a place for themselves in the Blue Economy. By investing in their growth and connecting them to real-world opportunities, we’re building a stronger, more inclusive ocean workforce—one that reflects the diversity of UMass Dartmouth.” 

“With thousands of jobs expected in Blue Economy sectors in our local region, it is so important that we show a broader segment of the population how they can be part of these high growth fields,” said Nishita Roy-Pope, CEO & Founder of Courage Builder. “What we have seen time and time again is that students are curious and capable, and are seeking work that is challenging and purposeful. They just need access to opportunities to develop their skills and talents. This grant and partnership with UMass Dartmouth has created a pathway for us to support students over many months in a very intentional and thoughtful way and it is very exciting to see how we can continue to reach more students and ultimately support our regional workforce needs.” 

The next phase of the grant will fund 6 of the summer intern students to continue their Blue Economy learning through a project-based course under the guidance and supervision of experienced SMAST faculty. Students will be working on projects aligned with their interests with a focus on plankton analysis, autonomous float analysis, computational efficiency, and data visualization.