The Pacific Marine Expo, held this week in Seattle, offered local high school students a chance to explore various career opportunities in the commercial marine industry.

Sponsored by the Port of Seattle, the Future Leaders Voyage brought together more than 100 students from Mountainlake Terrance High School, Maritime High School, Seattle Skills Center, and IDEA High School to attend PME. There, they had the opportunity to meet and speak with a wide range of professionals in the field, from scientists and fishermen to marine engineers and boatbuilders.

The students, ranging from freshmen to seniors, heard from Eric Soderlund, maritime operations manager for the Port of Seattle’s maritime division. He shared insights from his own career in the marine industry, both at sea and on land, and discussed the various paths and growing demands within the diverse maritime workforce.

“We have what we call a ‘silver tsunami’ in the maritime world right now, which means there are a lot of people who are older and on their way to retirement. There are a ton of job openings right now, and there are going to be more in the future,” Soderlund said. “These jobs pay well; there are plenty of six-figure jobs, for sure. And it’s also an adventure.”

A highlight for the students was PME’s Coastal Challenge, where tradeshow attendees tested their marine knowledge and skills for cash and other prizes. The students were able to watch the competition and even participate. Alex Jackson, a student at Maritime High School, came out on top as the winner.

Afterward, students ventured out across the PME show floor, engaging with exhibitors to learn about their work and discuss potential career opportunities.

“It’s really nice for our students to see what kind of jobs are available,” said Rachel Hertog, maritime education manager at Maritime High School. “There are so many parts to maritime, and an event like this allows them to see a broad range of what’s available and start thinking about their future and where they want to be.”

“The maritime industry is one that can be hard to get into at times, so exposing young people to the industry shows them that it’s not as scary as they might think and that it’s welcoming,” Soderlund said. “It’s important for marine companies to help build the workforce of the future. People who don’t know what’s available are not going to get into it.”