Tara Williams (right) chats with Rotary President Mike Herron (center) and Chuck Nuckles (City National Bank)

Jobs will always be there for the asking so long as the Great Kanawah runs through Putnam County and people are willing to work and learn. The river opened the area to early settlement, and generations of local families have traveled, traded and earned their living on the river.

Most travel now is recreational, but barge traffic continues to grow. One river barge today has the capacity to carry as much cargo as 58 large tractor trailer semis. And a typical tow of 15 barges has the capacity of 870 large semis.

Tara L. Williams

One tow of barges exterds a quarter mile, according to Williams. "Those 870 semis (hauling the same load) would take up eleven point five miles on the highway, bumper-to-bumper.

"The inland waters of the United States consist of 25,000 miles of rivers and inland waters. Four thousand boats and 27,000 barges (on those waters) generate $5 billion for the economy each year."

Work on the river is hard and demnding, but you can sign on with a high school diploma, the Barboursville native told Putnam Rotarians today.

"Starting pay is $25 to $32,000. with full benefits. And most of that pay is for half a year," she said. "You work on the boat for 28 days, and then go home for 28 days, and continue that throughout the year.

With training and experience, advancement is possible up to earnings of more than $100,000 as year as a tow captain or pilot. Captains in this area earn as much as $132,000," she told the group.

And while wou're at it, she added, you can earn a two-year academic degree at Mountwest CTC, and use those credits to advance to a baccalaureate and beyond at affiliated institutions.

Tara's job and that of the Academy is providing the training and experience for work on the water.

"A tow boat crew consists of several people -- generally eight, and sometimes more," she said.

"The captain is responsible for everything that goes on; the pilot is right below him. He has the same qualifications as the captain.

"Then there is an engineer, and sometimes two, and they man the equipment and keep the engines running properly.

"There are four deckhands -- because they take different shifts, generally six hours on and six hours off.

"And there is a cook. The cook has a big job because she -- or he -- has to please all those hungry people.

"The maritime industry is regulated by the Coast Guard. Any job above deckhand status requires Coast Guard approval.

"From deckhand, you can become a steersman. That's like a learner's permit: The steersman works with the captain, and he is required to have 365 twelve-hour days (of experience).

"Then you work your way up to pilot and master's licenses. It takes five to eight years to earn a master's license and become a captain."

The Inland Waterways Academy began in the 1990s. "American Electric Power has a river operations division and they wanted their deckhands to have training before they came in.

"AEP established a deckhand training program at Lakin. In 2001 Marshall University took over the project and made it part of its workforce development division within the community college." The community college is now Mountwest.

There were about 60 students for the year in 2001 taking the basic deckhand training. The following year, the Academy began developing licensing courses that were approved by the Coast Guard.

Some classes are offered in addition. "Marathon, for instance, wanted us to offer classes for cooks."

Other classes include fire safety training, radar observation, and tankerman -- loading and unloading the 200-ton tankers for Marathon."

In recent years, the number of students in Academy classes have numbered about 500.

Thirty students are presently enrolled in a two-year curriculum to earn a degree in maritime studies.