EVERETT — The first cohort of high school students in the Maritime Vessel Operations program graduated Wednesday, June 10.
“Congratulations to the inaugural graduating class of this first-of-its-kind maritime workforce development program,” said Lisa Lefeber, CEO and executive director of the Port of Everett. “This achievement reflects years of collaboration and the Port’s commitment to workforce development. With our partners Maritime Institute and Sno-Isle TECH Skills Center, we are proud to help create direct pathways for the next generation of mariners that help keep local talent local.”
The program is a partnership between the Port of Everett, Maritime Institute and Sno-Isle TECH Skills Center. The nine graduates are now eligible for entry-level positions on U.S. merchant vessels after earning industry-recognized certifications, including a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC), a Merchant Mariner Credential (MMC) and STCW-95 certification of watchkeeping.
Students completed training in engine room familiarization, personal survival techniques, watchkeeping and navigation, vessel security, crowd management, maritime electrical systems, outboard engine maintenance, diesel, gas and electrical engine maintenance, marine plumbing and other subjects.
The curriculum included hands-on learning through site visits, marine firefighting and personal survival courses, and restoring an old sailboat. As a final requirement, each student completed 100 hours of on-the-job training through internships or apprenticeships with local maritime companies.
The graduation marked a milestone in the Port of Everett’s workforce development efforts. Sign-ups for next year’s program have nearly quadrupled to the maximum capacity of about 36 students. The Suquamish Tribe has expressed interest in developing a similar program for its youth.
“We are so excited to celebrate our first completing class in the Maritime Vessel Operations class at Sno-Isle TECH,” said Wes Allen, director of Sno-Isle TECH Skills Center. “These students are prepared for amazing success in the maritime industry with the experience and industry-recognized credentials that will set them apart from their peers in the industry. This couldn’t have been done without the strong partnership and support of the Maritime Institute and the Port of Everett. We look forward to the continued growth and development of this program at the Port to meet the needs of our business and industry partners while preparing our graduates for long-term success.”
Sno-Isle TECH Skills Center, a cooperative of 15 local school districts that provides career and technical education aligned with Washington state graduation standards, helped launch the partnership. It was the center’s first maritime-focused career pathway.
The course was also the first high school program offered by Maritime Institute, which adapted its U.S. Coast Guard-approved adult “Mariner Bootcamp” curriculum into a yearlong program aligned with high school schedules and graduation requirements.
“The only way that this program was successful was because of the Port of Everett’s support, along with Sno-Isle TECH and Maritime Institute; we were all able to come together and make a cohesive plan,” said Brian Hennessy, the course instructor. “I hope that other Coast Guard-approved education facilities take the hint here that this is a good way to bring our children into the maritime field. The average mariner is in their late 50s, and we need a new generation to get out there and take to the seas.”
The Port of Everett hired three graduates for its seasonal maintenance team. Everett Ship Repair and Western Towboat also hired students from the class. Other graduates accepted positions on Bristol Bay fishing boats, at smaller shipyards or are pursuing careers with the U.S. Coast Guard.
Dylan Rose knew she wanted to pursue welding. After an internship with Everett Ship Repair, she received an apprenticeship offer she will begin after graduation.
“Initially, I knew I wanted to do welding, but I didn’t know where I wanted to go,” Rose said. “This class changed that — now I’ll be working in a shipyard. I think there are so many opportunities on ships, and I think that it’s a great field.”
Sidney Nash will also work in a shipyard and hopes to become a marine mechanic. He completed on-the-job training with the Port of Everett.
“I wouldn’t know anything about this; it’s kind of a hidden industry,” Nash said. “I didn’t know just how much work there is, and how many workers we need. I was thinking that I was going to be a security officer, and now that I’ve gotten to be on boats, I think this is going to be my career.”
Luca Conti said the class opened his eyes to the range of maritime careers.
“The class really showed me that there are so many things you can do on the water — you can be an engineer, you can be a chef, you can captain a boat if that’s what you want to do,” Conti said. “I didn’t realize that before I took the class.”
Wesley Wise plans to join the U.S. Coast Guard.
“This will be the best decision you’ve made in a while, and there are hundreds of different paths you can go on,” Wise said. “You can dive into stuff you like — research ships, mechanics, Coast Guard cutters — you do pretty much anything you like on the water. And anything you do on shore, you can get paid more to do it more on a boat.”
The Maritime Vessel Operations course will continue next year. The program works with regional maritime employers to arrange site visits, externships and apprenticeships. Employers interested in hosting students can contact Sarah Scherer at Maritime Institute Everett or Trudy Swain at Sno-Isle TECH Skills Center.
Author: Lynnwood Times Staff
