As Henry Franz was learning about our program, one of the things that he found most impressive about Capital IDEA Houston's model is that all the careers that are sponsored are really solid. Everyone one of the programs backed by Capital IDEA Houston are in growing fields. "These positions that are available to you once you've completed training, everyone of them is a career for life."
"It's not even that we don't have the chance to do these careers, it's just that in some instances, we don't even know about them," he explained.
Maybe you've heard that a career as a Merchant Marine is difficult on a family because of the long times spent away but for some, it provides incredible flexibility that can actually be really nice. What other job allows you to work for one month and get two weeks off after? In this field, most schedules are 14 days on and 7 days off but you can also opt for 28 days of work with 14 days off with an option to work more or less days depending on your needs.
As an ex-Navy man, Henry was always interested in a career in Maritime. Before starting the program at San Jacinto College he was working as a Mold Setter Technician in the Plastic Injection Molding Industry getting paid $11 an hour but was always looking for a way to get back on a boat. He was visiting the San Jacinto College website and ran across an ad for an one of our information sessions and got started applying to the program. "The process was amazingly quick and just like that, I was in classes. It was an awesome experience!"
He is currently a Senior Deck Hand but has got his eye on becoming a Captain in the future. "I knew I wanted to get in the Merchant Marine field but it was a lot harder several years ago because the licensing procedures was not clear and there were no classes to take. It was all: read a book and go take a test. There was no established programs to get you started. You couldn't even get your license without having a job offer from a company." Having a college program that offers a variety of trainings like the program at San Jacinto College opens up the opportunity to all who are interested and makes it easier to get in to the industry.
San Jacinto College's Maritime Program has amazingly knowledgeable instructors that go above and beyond to answers all questions and give you the training you need to get started. Some even encourage their students to stay in contact with them and make themselves available to the students after the program in case the graduates were ever in need of assistance, a referral or advice.
Henry started his training in August of 2021 and in just a few short weeks finished all his courses and started applying to companies. He was overjoyed by sudden flood of opportunities and finally accepted his current position with his employer because of the way they handled the interview process and the feeling he got from the people he dealt with during the interview process. "That is one of the greatest things about this industry. There are so many opportunities. It's really up to you to determine where you go and what you're doing."
The first step is to get your Standards for Training, Certification and Watchkeeping training (STCW). This training teaches you how to stand watch on a ship and the basic functions of working on a boat. It's made up of several short courses that range from first aid, to knowing how to swim and tread water as well as fight fires. This is the only course you really need to start out. After that you would get your Merchant Marine Certificate to continue to add more qualifications and trainings to your name.
While your are getting your courses done, Henry recommends getting your Transportation Workers Identification Card issued by the US Transportation Security Administration and is required for all Maritime workers planning to work on any port or vessel. Some companies will even hire you for certain inland marine work just for having the TWIC card.
Even if you believe deck work is not for you, you might consider Maritime Engineering as an option. This track would keep you out of the elements and allow you to work inside the ship working on the engines and maintaining the ship.
In the best of cases, working on these boats can become a home away from home. "When you get a good crew, it's sort of like a second family, things click in place and it's an experience that will affirm your reasons for choosing this industry in the first place." It is an industry that is especially accepting of women. While their numbers might be small, there are women in all positions across the Maritime field from Captain to Deck Hand and everything in between.
One piece of advice from Henry: "Don't be tempted to bounce around from company to company just for a little bit more money. Stick with the company that takes care of you best because when the work slows down, they will find something for you to do and keep you well employed."
He also recommends upgrading your license actively by completing the training courses so that you go from Seaman to Able-bodied Seaman to 3rd Mate to 2nd Mate and so-forth to continue to leverage your experience to maximize your earning potential. He wants everyone to know that one the of the best thing you can do is to invest in your training so you can continue to level up your Marine Merchant career. "The investment that you put into these course will come back to you."
Eventually you can work your way up to a position as a Captain or Engineer with the experience to move unlimited amounts of tonnage and horsepower. These positions earn as much as $600-$1000 a day which means you could be making 14-28k on a single trip. You might be working 6 months out of the year and making as much as most people are making in the entire year. This is most definitely a field where you are always in control of your earning potential.
For now, Henry has a clear path to becoming a Captian and will continue to keep his eye on Engineering. That is the beauty of this industry, you can be a Captian and decided to train for engineer and continue to bump your licenses up to keep you relevant to the markets needs. We are so proud to have been a part of Henry's journey and to have been able to support him during his training. We know he is going to continue to do great things in the field!
Find out more about Maritime Careers on San Jacinto Colleges website: www.sanjac.edu/programs-courses/maritime
or sign up for one of our information sessions to learn more about sponsorship: www.capitalideahouston.org/infosession
