The class of 13 in the inaugural Maritime Exploration and Training program donned survival suits and enter a life raft at the Hatfield Marine Science Center dock as part of their safety at sea training. (Oregon Sea Grant photo)Struggling to recruit and retain people who want to work in marine operations, Oregon State University and Oregon Sea Grant spent the past week trying to “grow their own.”
That’s what the organizations’ first maritime exploration and training program did for five days as part of a hands-on workforce development program targeting 16- to 24-year-olds. It’s a struggle to recruit ship and marine operation people from elsewhere in the U.S., said Tracy Crews, associate director of education at the Hatfield Marine Science Center, so the inaugural program was to try to interest local young people on sea-related careers.
OSU marine operations superintendent Lindsay Kurleja instructs Jacob Stanfill, center, and Hannah Grozier of the Angell Job Corps how to read nautical charts. (Oregon Sea Grant photo)Students from the Angell Job Corps Center and Newport and Taft high schools received basic seamanship training (navigation, knot tying, safety at sea training, small boat handling) plus ship time aboard two OSU research vessels, had industry tours and attended a career fair to expose them to a variety of industry professionals, jobs and to connect them with advanced training opportunities.
OSU and Sea Grant received a $32,000 grant from Northwest Oregon Works to provide staff and ship time for the participants.
“It’s not just to make them aware of the careers but also getting out there on the water to see what they think,” Crews said.
The class received sea time certificates, life jackets, a waterproof sea bag and a $300 stipend for completing the week’s program. One student already working at a Depoe Bay restaurant, even applied on the spot for a second cook’s position aboard a NOAA research vessel while touring the agency’s operations on Yaquina Bay.
Oregon State University associate professor Sarah Henkel shows Angell Job Corps student Vincent Quinby shrimp collected in a core sample while aboard the R/V Pacific Storm. Students were on the ship to observe science at work and put into practice the seamanship skills they had been learning as part of the Maritime Exploration Training program. (Oregon Sea Grant photo)
