Maritime Throwdown and We Work the Waterways Launch Workforce Development Partnership

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New Cause-Marketing Program Connects Maritime Training, Career Awareness, and Industry Recruitment

NASHVILLE, TN — May 29, 2026 — The maritime industry often discusses workforce development. Maritime Throwdown (MTD) and We Work the Waterways (WWW) are taking action.

At the Inland Marine Expo in Nashville, Tennessee, Maritime Throwdown and We Work the Waterways officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) establishing a workforce development partnership designed to recruit, train, and retain the next generation of maritime professionals.

The agreement creates a cause-marketing initiative directly tied to Maritime Throwdown's MTD Pro Training Rig, a hands-on training platform developed to strengthen practical line handling skills, safety awareness, communication, teamwork, and deck-level competency. For every MTD Pro Training Rig sold, Maritime Throwdown will donate $1,000 to We Work the Waterways to support maritime workforce development programs and outreach initiatives.

But this partnership is about much more than a donation.

It represents two organizations aligning around a shared mission: increasing awareness of maritime careers, creating pathways into the industry, and helping maritime companies build stronger, safer, and more capable workforces.

A Movement Bigger Than a Competition

What began as a line-handling competition has evolved into a national workforce development movement.

Over the past several years, Maritime Throwdown has traveled across the country engaging mariners, students, companies, and industry leaders through competition-driven training, experiential learning, and workforce development initiatives. While competition may be what audiences see first, the mission has always been centered on developing people.

As Texas A&M Maritime Academy Superintendent Colonel Michael Fossum described it:

"The Maritime Throwdown Movement."

That movement is built around a simple principle:

People learn best when they are engaged.

Rather than relying solely on classroom presentations, Maritime Throwdown incorporates hands-on challenges, teamwork, friendly competition, and real-world maritime scenarios to reinforce the skills that matter most on deck. The result is training that crews remember, embrace, and carry back to their vessels.

Connecting Training to Workforce Development

The new partnership creates a direct connection between workforce development and workforce recruitment.

Each MTD Pro Training Rig sold helps support We Work the Waterways' mission to educate students, parents, educators, job seekers, and communities about the opportunities available throughout the maritime industry. Through Maritime Interaction Days, educational programming, career exploration resources, and industry partnerships, We Work the Waterways increases awareness and understanding of maritime careers while connecting future talent with workforce opportunities across the industry.

Together, Maritime Throwdown and We Work the Waterways will expand outreach efforts, increase industry awareness, and help strengthen the pipeline of future mariners.

"This program creates a way for companies investing in workforce development to also support workforce recruitment," said Captain Kenny Brown, Founder of Maritime Throwdown. "Every MTD Pro Training Rig sold helps put resources back into building the future workforce our industry needs. When companies invest in training their crews, they're also helping inspire and develop the next generation of mariners."

"Workforce development begins long before someone applies for a job," said Errin Howard, Executive Director of We Work the Waterways. "It starts with awareness, exposure, and helping people understand the opportunities available throughout the maritime industry. This partnership connects industry-led training with career awareness and outreach, creating stronger pathways for students, educators, job seekers, and future workforce talent to enter and succeed in maritime careers."

Building the Future Workforce

The maritime industry faces workforce challenges across every sector.

Maritime Throwdown and We Work the Waterways believe the solution begins with exposure, engagement, and opportunity.

Many students, parents, educators, and career seekers remain unaware of the diverse and rewarding careers available throughout the maritime industry. Expanding awareness and providing meaningful access to those career pathways remains one of the industry's most important workforce development priorities.

At the same time, maritime companies need innovative tools to engage, develop, and retain employees, while communities benefit from a greater understanding of the vital role America's waterways play in commerce and economic growth.

This partnership helps address all three needs.

Looking Ahead

The signing of this MOU marks the beginning of a long-term workforce development initiative between two organizations committed to strengthening the future of the maritime industry.

As Maritime Throwdown continues expanding its training programs, competitions, and workforce development initiatives nationwide, and as We Work the Waterways continues introducing new audiences to maritime careers, both organizations remain focused on a common goal:

Building the next generation of American mariners.

The Maritime Throwdown movement continues to grow.

And this partnership represents another important step toward connecting industry, training, recruitment, and opportunity for the people who will keep America's waterways moving for decades to come.

About We Work the Waterways

We Work the Waterways is dedicated to building awareness, appreciation, and understanding of the maritime industry and the people who make it possible. Through educational outreach, workforce development initiatives, Maritime Interaction Days, and industry partnerships, the organization connects students, educators, job seekers, and communities with maritime career opportunities while highlighting the economic and environmental importance of America's waterways.

For more information, visit www.weworkthewaterways.org.

About Maritime Throwdown

Maritime Throwdown is a mariner-led workforce development organization dedicated to advancing safety, skills, and professionalism throughout the maritime industry through experiential learning, competition-based training, and workforce engagement programs. Through its signature Maritime Throwdown competitions, MTD Pro Training Rig, educational workshops, and industry partnerships, Maritime Throwdown creates hands-on learning experiences that develop practical seamanship skills, strengthen teamwork and communication, and inspire the next generation of maritime professionals. Its mission is to build safer, stronger, and more capable mariners while elevating pride in the maritime profession.

For more information, visit www.maritimethrowdown.net

Media Contacts

Maritime Throwdown
Captain Kenny Brown
maritimethrowdown@gmail.com / 601-551-0321

We Work the Waterways
Errin Howard
ehoward@weworkthewaterways.com / 513-403-9312