BARRIE
Georgian College, Royal Canadian Navy deepen partnership to strengthen marine education, training and career pathways

Georgian College and the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) announced a Memorandum of Collaboration (MOC) that will create clearer education, training and career pathways between the college and the Navy. The agreement will connect Georgian students with experiential learning and Navy career opportunities while expanding access to training, upskilling and recognition of prior learning for reservists and active service members.

The collaboration focuses on creating greater awareness of marine programming and expanding short-term and industry-certified training aligned with Navy occupations.

The partnership comes as Canada faces growing pressure to strengthen its marine and naval workforce. A May 2026 National Marine Workforce Development Strategy, developed in coordination with the Royal Canadian Navy and Canadian Coast Guard, notes that the RCN needs to grow by more than 3,000 personnel to meet its defence mandate and identifies stronger partnerships with marine training institutions as an important part of expanding workforce capacity.

As well, the Province of Ontario launched The Future of the Great Lakes Economy: Ontario's Marine Transportation Strategy to strengthen Ontario's position as a leader in marine transportation. The strategy recognizes that a skilled, diverse workforce is essential to the sector's long-term growth and includes a pillar focused on promoting marine careers and building the talent pipeline needed to support the industry.

Through the Centre for Marine Training and Research at Georgian's Owen Sound Campus, the college is well positioned with training expertise, such as Marine Emergency Duties, basic seamanship, marine engineering and navigation. Georgian College is well positioned to support refresher training, upskilling, and occupation-aligned learning for reservists and active service members, whiie also creating strong pathways for future entrants to the marine sector.

Building on successful cadet placements aboard Navy vessels to complete required sea time, the partnership creates opportunities to build on programs such as the Non-Commissioned Member Subsidized Training and Education Plan (NCMSTEP). This approach aligns with Navy recruitment priorities, while also offering a more seamless pathway for students enrolled in Georgian's Marine Engineering and Marine Navigation programs.

"Georgian College is proud to work alongside the Royal Canadian Navy to strengthen marine workforce pathways," said Kevin Weaver, President and CEO, Georgian College. "This collaboration builds on the strength of our postsecondary marine programs, which help develop future talent for the sector, and on our expertise in modular, industry-connected training that supports reservists and active service members. Together, these strengths position Georgian as a responsive partner in meeting Canada's evolving marine training needs."

Under the agreement, the RCN will provide Georgian College recruiters and students with enhanced access to information on Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and Navy career opportunities, collaborate on experiential learning with serving members, and explore training, refresher and upskilling opportunities for Navy reservists and active service members. The Navy will assign a dedicated liaison officer to support the relationship and continuous improvement efforts.

The college, in turn, will support prior learning assessments and advanced standing for CAF and RCN members, collaborate on experiential learning, enable work-integrated learning aligned with naval occupations, and designate a liaison officer to support military-connected students and program coordination.

"This collaboration with Georgian College is an important step in strengthening Canada's marine and naval workforce for the future," said Captain(N) Geoff Hamilton, Commander Naval Reserve Central Region. "By connecting students with meaningful opportunities to learn about and serve in the Royal Canadian Navy, while also supporting the education and professional development of our reservists and sailors, we are creating pathways that benefit both the Navy and Canada's broader marine sector. Georgian College's expertise in marine training, combined with its strong commitment to experiential learning, makes it an ideal partner as we work together to attract, develop and retain the skilled personnel needed to meet Canada's maritime and defence priorities. We look forward to building on this partnership and inspiring the next generation of Canadian mariners and naval professionals."

The agreement provides a framework for joint communications and promotional activities, subject to mutual approval, and establishes a working group to guide implementation and future opportunities.

The collaboration with the Royal Canadian Navy builds on Georgian College's growing portfolio of partnerships as a miliary-connected college. In March this year, Georgian signed a memorandum of collaboration with Canadian Forces Base Borden and the Military Personnel Generation Training Group (MPGTG), focused on improving access to postsecondary education, recognizing prior learning, facilitating access to talent, and supporting serving members, veterans and their families as they transition into civilian careers.