Commercial diver returns to direct the program that certified her, touts career opportunities in growing offshore wind industry
A family trip to Sea World when she was a child inspired in Emma Horanic a fascination with all things related to the ocean, from mammoth sea creatures to the tiniest specks of tide pool life. She says she knew then that her future would somehow involve the ocean.
As she grew up, it seemed an excellent fit when she moved from her hometown of Madera to UC Santa Barbara, where she mapped out her own field of study as a marine biology major. She earned her bachelor’s degree in that discipline, but couldn’t shake a notion that plagued her future plans as she neared graduation—she was uncertain she wanted to commit to graduate school, but remained resolved in her lifelong aspiration to live, work and play in and around the ocean.
So, instead of chasing her master’s degree, she moved 11 miles down the coast where she enrolled in the Marine Diving Technology (MDT) program at Santa Barbara City College (SBCC). Two semesters and a $2,000 fee later—a fraction of what private diving schools charge—she had obtained her certificate of achievement and went to work as an underwater diver. For the next three years, working off the Louisiana coastline for the Aqueos Corporation, she earned an average of $90,000 to $100,000 annually.
“A really big emphasis is on the blue economy and the potential creation of jobs for offshore wind farms. They’re going to need divers for installation and maintenance.”
Emma Horanic, Marine Diving Technology Program Director, Santa Barbara City College
Prior to finding the MDT program, Horanic says she was unaware of the job options it unlocked: “I didn’t even know that commercial diving was a thing,” she says.
Horanic’s story took an unexpected turn in June 2024, when she got a telephone call from the director of the SBCC program who told her that he was about to retire and wanted to know if she was interested in serving as his successor. She took the job, becoming the director of the program she’d been certified through just four years earlier.
SBCC’s MDT program was established in 1968 by Ramsey Parks, a local abalone diver turned commercial diver, and today it offers two levels of education leading to careers in that industry. First, there’s the two-semester certification class Horanic opted for, which covers a range of topics including underwater welding and burning; rigging and crane operations; small vessel handling and seamanship; and diving medicine and first aid. With completion of an additional two semesters of general education classes in drafting and biology and an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) course, students can earn an Associate in Science Degree in Marine Diving Technology.
The program is in line with the California Community College Chancellor’s Office’s Vision 2030, a strategic action plan aimed at increasing equity and access to education and providing career opportunities through certifications. It also addresses the plan’s goal of providing programs that bolster climate resiliency.
“People hear about commercial diving and they think, ‘Oh, it’s oil and gas platforms,’” Horanic says. “But a really big emphasis is on the blue economy and the potential creation of jobs for offshore wind farms. They’re going to need divers for installation and maintenance. Also, hydroelectric dams use divers to clean the systems and do tests.”
The offshore wind industry is primed for substantial growth in the coming years, driven by global investment and moves toward renewable energy sources. That means more jobs for divers, with the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)—an intergovernmental organization that supports countries in their transition to sustainable energy—projecting employment in offshore wind could reach over 1 million jobs by 2050, compared to 300,000 in 2020.
For more information about Santa Barbara City College’s Marine Diving Technology Program, visit www.sbcc.edu/marinediving. To learn more about the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office and Vision 2030, go to www.cccco.edu.
Written by Andy Furillo
| Regions | Classes & Topics |
|---|---|
| South Coast California | Careers in Business-Technology |
