Local students get VIP tour of Waterways career options

Inland River Ports and Terminals’ We Work the Waterways hosted an event on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, in Vicksburg at The Jesse Brent Lower Mississippi River Museum, Ergon Marine, and Hinds Community College.

Interactive Waterways event.

The event is an immersive interaction day to educate high school students in the area on the importance of waterborne transportation and the diversity of career pathways available on the waterways.

Hundreds of high school students from Vicksburg and surrounding areas experienced visually engaging presentations at Hinds Community College, immersive tours at Ergon Marine, and interactive stations located at The Jesse Brent Lower Mississippi River Museum.

We Work the Waterways brings the industry to the students; through education, hands-on learning, and engaging with maritime representatives. The event’s stations are designed so students can experience firsthand maritime skills such as line throwing and knot tying. Students will also learn more about commodities shipped on the Mississippi River, and the lifelong careers the waterways have to offer.

We Work the Waterways Career Development Program Director Errin Howard states “The goal of these one-day events is for young people to gain an awareness of the opportunities that abound in the maritime field. Our outreach is not only to the students but to the actual educators. The goal is to build meaningful relationships with schools that, in time, will attract the next-generation workforce to the maritime industry.  By connecting the industry with educators, we’re really helping both parties establish relationships that will last beyond these events,” Howard said.

We Work the Waterways event

The We Work the Waterways program aligns with the vision and mission of Vicksburg Warren School District.” Says Dr. Terence James We Work the Waterways Advisory Council Member and Director of Career and Technical Education. “We want to educate all our students about the many career choices that they have an opportunity to pursue in our community and this program helps us to do so.  With the recent announcement of adding a new port in Vicksburg, the We Work the Waterways program will help prepare our students for the job opportunities along the port. The We Work the Waterways program provides our students with an opportunity to experience the plethora of career opportunities within the maritime industry.  It provides students with an opportunity to not only speak with representatives currently in the field, but students also have an opportunity to experience some roles within the maritime industry by interacting in activities that are planned for the event.”

Over 200 Vicksburg area students participated from local schools including Porters Chapel, St. Al, Benton Academy and Agape Christian schools.

We Work the Waterways has partnered up with Big River Shipbuilders, Associated Terminals / Turn Services, US Army Corps of Engineers, US Coast Guard, Golding Barge Line, Yazoo River Towing, Magnolia Marine, Ergon Marine, The Jesse Brent Lower Mississippi River Museum, and Hinds Community College to make the day possible.

We Work the Waterways