Maritime Administration: Actions Needed to Help Address Workforce Challenges
Fast Facts
The Maritime Administration (MARAD) is responsible for America's waterborne transportation—overseeing U.S. shipping, port and vessel operations, national security, and more.
MARAD has about 800 employees to carry out its many missions. But the agency is facing staff turnover, high numbers of employees eligible to retire, and vacancies in critical positions. And it doesn't have a strategic human capital plan to address how it will hire and retain employees.
By creating a plan, MARAD can better determine and address workforce skill gaps and monitor progress toward agency workforce goals. Our recommendations address this.
Highlights
What GAO Found
Renewed interest in revitalizing America's maritime industrial base has driven interest in the sufficiency of the workforce at the Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration (MARAD). While MARAD's budget grew by approximately 314 percent from fiscal years 2015 through 2024, the agency faces staff turnover and numerous vacancies in key positions. As of September 2024, MARAD had a 12.3 percent vacancy rate—116 vacancies out of 941 authorized full-time positions. In addition, MARAD separated 235 more employees than it hired over the last 10 years. According to MARAD officials, these vacancies have made it increasingly difficult for the staff to accomplish their mission. Furthermore, the number of retirement-eligible staff is projected to increase, from 24 percent in 2024 to 43 percent by calendar year 2029 (see fig.). To address these challenges, MARAD has expanded the use of hiring flexibilities to help recruit qualified candidates, begun employee engagement efforts, and developed a recruitment and outreach plan. In July 2024, MARAD hired a contractor to develop a strategic workforce plan. Agency officials expect the plan to be completed in September 2025.
Maritime Administration Retirement Eligibility Rate, Calendar Years 2023-2029
GAO found that MARAD has not fully implemented key strategic workforce planning principles into its forthcoming strategic workforce plan. For example, GAO has previously reported that agencies should determine critical skills needed to achieve current and future goals and assess any skill gaps. MARAD officials said that the contractor will conduct a workforce analysis that includes identifying workforce competencies and skills as part of the forthcoming workforce plan. However, the agency has yet to fully determine future skills that may be needed. Individual program offices, such as the office of Shipyards and Marine Engineering, told GAO that they anticipate needing additional expertise in certain skillsets, such as cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, in the years ahead. However, MARAD has not yet determined overall how it will assess future skill gaps such as these, or other skills, needed within the agency as a whole. MARAD officials said they have not fully assessed the workforce skills needed because the strategic workforce plan is still in development. Nevertheless, without fully determining the skill gaps needed to achieve future results and developing a strategy to address them, MARAD will not have assurance that its workforce is best positioned to meet current and future mission needs.
Why GAO Did This Study
MARAD is tasked with fostering, promoting, and developing the U.S. maritime industry to meet the nation's economic and security needs. MARAD's wide-ranging responsibilities makes workforce planning critically important. Strategic human capital management across government is an issue on GAO's High Risk List. In July 2024, MARAD hired a contractor to help the agency develop a strategic workforce plan.
This report examines (1) current workforce challenges MARAD faces, (2) how MARAD is addressing its workforce challenges, and (3) the extent to which MARAD has incorporated key workforce planning principles into its strategic workforce plan.
GAO reviewed MARAD policies, procedures, and documents related to the agency's strategic workforce planning efforts. GAO also interviewed MARAD and Department of Transportation officials and analyzed MARAD data. GAO evaluated the information from documents and interviews against key workforce planning principles.
Recommendations
GAO is making four recommendations, including that MARAD assess critical skills and develop a strategy to address any future skill gaps identified in the forthcoming strategic workforce plan. The Department of Transportation agreed with our recommendations.
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Maritime Administration | The Administrator of the Maritime Administration should ensure that managers, employees, and stakeholders are involved in developing the forthcoming strategic workforce plan, by identifying the means and frequency for involving them in the plan's development. (Recommendation 1) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Maritime Administration | The Administrator of the Maritime Administration should assess critical skills needed to achieve MARAD's future goals and develop a strategy to address any future skill gaps identified within the forthcoming strategic workforce plan. (Recommendation 2) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Maritime Administration | The Administrator of the Maritime Administration should build the capability needed to support workforce strategies, such as by determining how MARAD will incorporate hiring flexibilities or streamline any administrative processes needed to implement the forthcoming strategic workforce plan. (Recommendation 3) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| Maritime Administration | The Administrator of the Maritime Administration should develop a process to monitor and evaluate progress toward any goals ultimately identified in the forthcoming strategic workforce plan, to include creating a set of quantifiable measures of effectiveness that will help gauge progress in implementing the agency's forthcoming strategic workforce plan. (Recommendation 4) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
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