Seafarers union pitches maritime apprenticeship opportunities to Guam mayors

Dwayne Akers, representing the Seafarers International Union’s Western Pacific region, told the Mayor’s Council that the union operates a Department of Labor‑recognized apprenticeship school (Pine Point, Maryland) and is recruiting island candidates. Akers said graduates can earn salaries three times Guam’s average after training and cited typical monthly wage ranges of $5,000–$7,000 for mariners once employed. He described upfront costs for island candidates (travel and certification) and requested mayoral help identifying candidates, hosting presentations at mayoral offices and high schools, and, where feasible, exploring grant or congressional support to offset initial expenses.

Akers also pointed to proposed federal measures (referred to in his remarks as The Ships Act) that could expand the U.S. commercial fleet and create additional billets in the Western Pacific; he told mayors the union needs local candidates to fill those roles and that the program provides medical and retirement benefits. Akers offered to return for longer, village‑level presentations and asked mayoral offices to accept his informational materials for village outreach and career days.