RiverWorks Discovery Partners With Kentucky Chamber To Host Virtual Career Event

RiverWorks Discovery partnered with the Kentucky Chamber Workforce Center April 14 to host a first-of-its-kind Who Works The Rivers online career education event. The free event was open to students and RiverWorks Discovery supporters alike, in Kentucky and beyond. 

Using an online platform from Covington, Ky.-based IT company ULIMI, Who Works The Rivers leaders were able to share an overview of the maritime industry, the ways in which the industry impacts the day-to-day lives of students, career paths available to students and some strategies for interviewing and pursuing jobs in the field.

In addition to logging in to the ULIMI platform, participants could also stream the virtual Who Works The Rivers via Facebook. Anyone interested may view the presentations on the Kentucky Chamber Workforce Center Facebook page and the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce YouTube channel.

According to RiverWorks Discovery, more than 1,200 students signed up to view and participate in the event, along with individual registrants and viewers on both Facebook and YouTube.

The event featured representatives from American Commercial Barge Line, Marquette Transportation, Ingram Barge Company, Crounse Corporation, Illinois Marine Towing and Chad Dorsey with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration. ACBL, Associated Terminals and Cooper/T. Smith provided video work, while team members from Ingram, ACBL, Associated Terminals, Turn Services and Canal Barge Company were featured in the prerecorded videos.

Errin Howard, program director for RiverWorks Discovery, said she hopes this is just the beginning of how Who Works The Rivers can reach more students online.

“I am still in awe of how smoothly things went yesterday,” Howard said April 15. “I think it was an amazing first virtual event, and this gets me excited thinking about the next event and how we can continue to introduce high school kids to opportunities in the maritime industry. I want to thank everyone who helped lead the event; thank you for your professionalism, partnership and support.”