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April 2, 2021New Software Helps Merchant Mariners Apply For, Maintain and Grow Their U.S. Coast Guard Credentials
[This article is originally from gcaptain.com]
Washington, D.C., March 15, 2021 — MM-SEAS™ (www.mmseas.com) is the first software that automates the manual task of obtaining, tracking and renewing U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) credentials. MM-SEAS™ eliminates paperwork processing errors and delivers meaningful merchant mariner career guidance.
“We built this software to serve the 210,000 merchant mariners who contribute over $150 billion in economic output to the US economy by transporting America’s goods and people by sea,” said Nate Gilman, Co-Founder and President of MM-SEAS™.
Civilian mariners are required to have valid USCG Merchant Mariner Credentials (MMC) to be onboard any commercial or federal ship in the United States. Credentialing is a complex and vague process. From 2012 to 2018, 44.9 percent of approximately 500,000 applications submitted to the USCG National Maritime Center were incomplete or missing key documents.
“I’ve been sailing my whole life, and as a captain, I knew how hard it was for me to obtain and grow my credentials. I first thought of MM-SEAS™ because I started to help other mariners apply for their endorsements.” Mr. Gilman went on to say that the team came together to solve this problem for the maritime community and help mariners build on larger endorsements. “Applying for a credential is like doing your taxes by reading the federal code! We wanted a simple way for mariners to grow in their careers, and for our military community to have good paying jobs after they leave the service. These jobs are critical for our economy and our national defense. The team started MM-SEAS™ to support and grow mariners to fill these really critical roles.”
About the Software:
MM-SEAS™ automates the manual task of obtaining, tracking and renewing USCG credentials. The software eliminates paperwork processing errors and delivers meaningful merchant mariner career guidance.
The platform, available on desktop and mobile, uploads a mariner’s MMC, documentation of sea service, training certificate or other paperwork, and then allows the user to extract the applicable data in real-time. MM-SEAS™ makes it easy for mariners to determine if their training and experience fulfills the requirements of the over 840 USCG licenses and endorsements as well as providing insights into what is needed for their upcoming renewal. This information is then stored in our secure database and displayed on an interactive user dashboard providing clarity of process and focused career development for civilian mariners and active duty service members.
