A new partnership between the Crescent River Port Pilots and the New Orleans-Baton Rouge Steamship Pilots Associations aims to increase awareness of career opportunities in the state’s maritime industry for African-Americans and other minorities. Captain Roy Vance believes that the high-paying jobs in the industry have flown under the radar for too long and that the Open Waters initiative is timely and necessary.
“Nobody knows what goes on behind the levees,” said Vance. “People cross the levees every day, different bridges, but nobody ever looks down to see the industry that’s booming down right below them. We just feel like if people knew, they’d go that way and they’d have life-changing jobs.
Vance also said that these jobs are not limited to on-ship positions. People from any number of backgrounds have the opportunity to find a job suited to their skills.
“A lot of people don’t want to work on boats their whole entire life, but there’s other jobs on the river,” he added. “There’s loading cargo. There’s also accountants, project managers. There’s an array of jobs you could possibly choose from.”
The newly formed alliance will be making an aggressive effort to increase awareness and most importantly, fill those jobs.
“We’re gonna go to all different schools and community centers around the state,” said Vance. “To show people what they can do with a college degree, or without a college degree. We’re going to try to go to every job fair we can possibly go to and just get the word out.”
The two organizations view expanding the talent pool as vital to what they see as the state’s leading industry.
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