HOUSTON — It’s never too early to start thinking about what comes after high school. A great option is trade school, and you don't have to wait until graduation to get started.
High schools here in Houston can prepare students for a vocational career that includes a maritime program offered by Port Houston.
"We are probably Houston’s best-kept secret, and that's one of the myths we're trying to break," Jacquie Young, Maritime Education Outreach Manager – Port Houston, said.
The word they're working to spread is about Port Houston's maritime education program.
"About 50% of the people who work along the Houston Ship Channel and at Port Houston are over the age of 50, so we needed to figure out how do we infuse and encourage that next generation of maritime talent,” Young said.
Started back in 2009 with just two local high schools, Young said the program has now grown to seven schools across six different districts with nearly 1,000 students currently enrolled.
Part of the state's Career and Technical Education Program, the four-year maritime program starts freshman year.
“We do everything from field trips to hands-on,” Young said. “They get to come to some of our industry partners and do site visits. We have internships. We have scholarship opportunities."
Alex Maldonado, 19, and Eliseo Garcia, 18, are part of both the internship and maritime education program. They're spending the summer working on board the Sam Houston Boat which gives free tours educating people about the Houston Ship Channel, a paid gig they're loving.
"I feel amazing, I’m not going to lie, just the opportunities," Garcia, intern with Port Houston, said.
They are learning firsthand from the crew.
"Oh, it's been awesome,” Maldonado said. “I love the team, they're really helpful."
A senior this year, Garcia said, initially, a maritime career didn't even cross his mind.
"To be honest, I didn't even know about it but what really hooked me was the uniqueness of it," he said.
A passionate teacher also showed him the vast career opportunities that come along with working at a port. It's why Maldonado, who finished the program, said whatever he does next will hopefully involve a job with Port Houston.
"I just love the water, and the team made me fall in love with this industry even more," Maldonado said.
Young said that's the main goal Port Houston is working towards investing more than $5 million into the program, helping students learn about the logistics and transportation aspects of working at the port as well as the internal side, like marketing, accounting, and more.
"These are high wages, high demand jobs,” Young said. "A lot of these things, they can start right after high school."
The program helps lay a solid foundation for students to navigate unchartered waters.
"The opportunities are here, and it's right in their backyard," Young said.