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The Tall Ship Theme Park would promote maritime careers.
Benefits of a Maritime Career
High Wages
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The transport maritime industry pays above average wages. Very often, skilled
blue-collar workers yearly income is more than white-collar management.
Investment in ships, container yards and cranes are extremely costly and must
operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. As a result, there is lots of overtime.
Idle facilities are more costly that employee overtime.
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The scientific maritime industry does not have the time pressures that transports
have, therefore, the annual wage level may be lower. However, the challenges they
are confronted with makes their job exciting.
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The recreational maritime industry is for fun, for the sportsman at his convince.
Wages are normal, except for specialty skills such as diving instructor. The up
side is, it is fun to work with people who are paying to have fun.
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Adventure Environment
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The maritime world is associated with the forces of nature, in this case,
water. Water mixed with wind is unpredictable and this unpredictability creates
an environment of adventure. Under the harshest of conditions, jobs still have
to get done. Because 100 knot winds are whipping up the seas does not mean
you can take the day off, one must assume responsibilities and deal with the
situation at hand.
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In the marine world, contacts with interesting people and unusual projects are
common, such as, connections to people diving on the Titanic or the Coast
Guard's search and rescue missions. The maritime environment is man's last
unexplored frontier and many want to be part of it.
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The maritime world attracts adventures, freelance and sponsored. Depending on
the project, the paths of similar interested people cross in various ports around the
world. Suva, Fiji is the crossroads of world circling yachtsmen. Panama is the
crossroads of all types of mariners traveling from ocean to ocean -- it is also
the crossroads of land adventures traveling north and south. Woods Hole
Oceanographic Institute is the crossroads of maritime scientist.
Adventure inspired visionaries are at these crossroads with wild ideas, willing to share their
ambitions with fellow adventures. The seemly impossible suddenly becomes possible.
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Exposure to Opportunity
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The maritime world is a mixture of many skills and professional trades. In
this environment, there is exposure to other skills, such as, a marine machinist
who is assigned to work with divers. Having a working relationship with divers increases the
chances of becoming a diver. Connections create opportunity for advancement.
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Companies that adapt to fast changing technology offer opportunity for
advancement. Businesses in the maritime world must adapt technology to
stay competitive. High wages is one of the pressures for adapting, but new
technology increases efficiency, if not creating possibilities that could not be
achieved in the past. Finding the Titanic was only possible with newly developed
equipment, and this equipment opened up a new frontier of exploration.
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Opportunity to Promote Creative Concepts
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In the maritime world, people from the four corners of the world are exposed
to different cultures and different ways of thinking. This helps remove
the barriers to creative thinking. In this environment, it becomes possible to
think, talk about and promote unique ideas.
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It was my goal to sail across the
Pacific Ocean in a dugout
canoe. I was supported by coworkers, the community and received support from
top leadership of the company I worked for, The Panama Canal Company. The
5,000-mile voyage from Panama to Hawaii took 68 days. Before Panama, I was
living in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. If I had dared express my sea adventure
ambitions in this environment, friends would have encouraged me to see a doctor.
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Many people have unique concepts that are killed by the social environment they live
in. In the maritime world, many of these barriers are non-existent. If you are
creative and like adventure, a career in the marine and maritime world is for
you.
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Education and Training (getting started)
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Attending the Merchant Marine Academy, Coast Guard Academy or Navy Academy
will put you on the fast track for opportunity and advancement.
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There are various types of marine related colleges and schools where you pay the
tuition, usually white-collar careers.
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There are apprentice programs in the blue-collar workforce where you are
paid an hourly wage. Today, technical colleges are starting to replace traditional
apprentice programs.
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For those not meeting acceptance qualifications, they can
begin a blue-collar career as a laborer. In the industrial workforce, there
is always semi-skilled work that needs to be done. A high percentage of trade professionals started at the bottom and worked their way up.
Industrial businesses like this type of person, because they can hire
naturally talented craftsmen at low wages.
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For a laborer to advance, they need to be recognized. Attributes for
recognition are positive self-esteem,
self-motivated, ambitious and can learn fast. Learning is related to dexterity and
mechanical skills. Repairing diesel engines, is an example.
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