Jobs in Shipping: Catch the Wave

This week the Daily News wrote an article on the fast growing sector of shipping in NYC. So fast in fact that NYC has one of the busiest ports in the country.

So, this immediately begs the questions: where are the jobs, what are the jobs, how can I get access to these jobs, and how can I find out more?

Luckily, for the past four years the Workforce1 Industrial and Transportation Career Center has focused on transportation-related jobs in NYC, which includes the air, road, and maritime sectors.

There are a few commonalities in all transportation-related jobs that are transferable across a number of industries:

• Managing logistics: managing inventory, receiving/delivering goods
• Sales/customer service: coordinating new orders and attending to customer service inquiries
• Dispatching: managing distribution schedules
• Fleet management:  managing drivers and issues related to trucks/distribution methods
• Billing/accounting: accounts payable and receivable to ensure speedy collections and payments

Working in inventory, purchasing, accounting in any high volume environment – whether retail, food service, accommodations – are all environments where the above skills can be fine tuned.

For jobs specifically related to activity in the ports, there are commercial and retail entities ranging from NY Water Taxi, Spirit Cruises, and Circle Line.  The piers associated with cruise ships include Manhattan Cruise Terminal at Piers 88 and 90 and the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. Waterfront jobs also include tugboat and towing services like MacAllister Towing, and ferry positions including the Staten Island Ferry.

As with airports, most maritime jobs are located around the water, not directly on the piers. (Just as airport-related jobs are located around the airport, not directly in the airport. Supplier companies and ancillary warehousing and logistics companies are often located close by the waterfronts that they support.

In terms of training, Kingsborough Community College is a leader in maritime training offering certifications and degrees in this field.

If you are interested in learning more about a career in transportation – whether supporting a business that focuses on air, road or waterway services – check out the Workforce1 Industrial and Transportation Career Center.

Angie Kamath

Angie Kamath, who oversees Workforce1 as the Deputy Commissioner of Workforce Development at the NYC Department of Small Business Services, shares her perspective on Workforce1 and the New York City job market in her weekly  Jobs in New York City column.

Have a response to Angie’s column?  Drop her a note in the comment section below!  And, if you found this helpful, please share it with friends and family on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and email!