Hagan checks out CFCC Marine Technology program

Sen. Kay Hagan visited the Port City today. Among her stops, students in Cape Fear Community College’s Marine Technology program took her aboard the Research Vessel Dan Moore.

The instructors are trying to get support for a new ship, because the Dan Moore is more than 40 years old and in need of replacing. They hope the tour helped prove that to the senator.

“The students will not get the practical experience they need to get jobs,” program director Jay Rogers said. “This is our floating classroom, if we don’t get students out on the water in it, they simply won’t get jobs.”

The Marine Technology program has already received $500,000 to design the new ship. Now they need $12 million to build it.

“We’ll certainly work with Cape Fear Community College to see what possibilities might be out there,” Hagan said.