Leveraging Marine Trades in North Carolina's
Water Counties

The Carteret County Economic Development Council has commissioned a team of graduate
students from the Department of City and Regional Planning at the University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill to develop strategies to support the long-term competitiveness of the marine trades
industry in five counties – Carteret, Craven, Onslow, Jones, and Pamlico.

Although well- established and an important provider of businesses and jobs, the industry is
under pressure from a loss of waterfront access for boats and a shortage of qualified workers.

The students of the class spent the four months analyzing the conditions of the industry.
 Workshop classes are a requirement for students in the Department of City and Regional
Planning at UNC-Chapel Hill and designed to give students the opportunity to apply their skills
in a practical setting.   The Office of Economic and Business Development at UNC Chapel Hill
was responsible for facilitating the working relationship between the Carteret County Economic
Development Council and the workshop class in the Planning Department.

The team received assistance in the field from the Carteret-County EDC office, from NC
MARTEC, and from SBTDC Marine Trades` Services.   The students of the workshop class have
prepared a set of recommendations for the economic development groups in the subject counties
to promote the long-term strength of the marine trades industry, and have presented their
report to the economic developers, their boards and public officials.


Leveraging the Marine Trades in North Carolina's Water Counties:
An analysis of the cluster's workforce development and waterfront access needs April 2006

Excutive Summary

Project Report

Project Presentation