b'One of Washington State Ferries many programs to connect with the mariners of tomorrow is Classroom on the Water where ten students from a local high school spend two weeks at the operation to gain real-world skills and learn about career opportunities in maritime. R unning a business is a journey through periods of success, as well as times of challenge. Nearly every company at some point will face the age-old dilemma of having open em-ployment positions yet struggle to find candidates. Passenger vessel operators large and small know this well as crew shortages have been a concern in the industry, especially since the pandemic. For the team at Washington State Ferries (WSF), they found themselves on the brink of a crisis but with strategic partnerships, fresh approaches, and broad outreach, they turned the tables and built a robust workforce development system.9 OCTOBER 2025'