Governor Bentley Encourages Qualified Employees to Seek Training for Maritime Positions

By: Tara Hutchison, Alabama Department of Labor

MOBILE (Governor’s Office) – Governor Robert Bentley and Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington announced an initiative to place qualified employees in vacant maritime positions in the Mobile area. The Alabama Department of Labor is working with area community colleges, local governments, chambers of commerce, regional groups, Mobile Works and maritime employers.

“Alabama is consistently known for its trained and skilled workforce,” Governor Bentley said. “I am encouraging jobseekers to take advantage of the free training opportunities in the Mobile area in order to become qualified for these highly competitive, well paid positions.”

Most maritime jobs pay more than $17/hour. Some examples of maritime positions and their hourly wages include:

Structural Metal Fabricators & Fitters – $17.87
Welders – $18.34
Layout Workers – $19.36
Electricians – $22.43
Plumbers, Pipefitters & Steamfitters – $20.24
Sailors and Marine Oilers – $19.69
Captains, Mates and Pilots of Water Vessels – $42.99

“We know there is a need in the Mobile area for maritime workers, from welders to shipfitters, and we are hearing from employers that they’re having trouble finding qualified workers. We are hoping to fix that with this initiative,” Secretary Washington said. “It’s always been our goal to match workers with jobs. We are simply focusing on one specific need right now.”

Interested job seekers should visit www.labor.alabama.gov/maritime to find out more information regarding FREE training programs, including programs from AIDT, Bishop State, and more. Additionally, staff at the Mobile Career Center can give personalized, one-on-one assistance to ensure that job seekers are enrolled in the appropriate program.

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