Centennial High Students Explore Maritime Jobs at Fort Pierce Expo

Twenty-five students from the Outboard Marine Technology program at St. Lucie West Centennial High School attended the Fort Pierce Yacht Club Foundation's fourth annual Chart Your Course maritime and marine industry career expo, connecting face-to-face with professionals who work the waterways of the Treasure Coast.

The expo, held at the Fort Pierce Yacht Club and the River Walk Center, gave Centennial students a direct look at the range of careers available in the local maritime and marine industries — fields with deep roots along Florida's Treasure Coast and steady demand for skilled workers. For students already enrolled in a hands-on marine technology program, the event offered something a classroom cannot: real conversations with people doing the work.

Local maritime and marine business representatives walked students through the skills and education required for various career paths and offered practical guidance on how to reach their professional goals.

The Chart Your Course expo, now in its fourth year, has built a reputation as a bridge between St. Lucie County's career and technical education programs and the employers who stand to hire their graduates. Outboard Marine Technology is among the district's career-focused offerings designed to prepare students for the workforce before they leave high school — a priority St. Lucie Public Schools has emphasized as it works to align its programs with regional economic demand.

The Fort Pierce waterfront, home to both the Yacht Club and the River Walk Center, made for a fitting backdrop. The marine industry is not an abstraction for students who live minutes from the Indian River Lagoon and the Atlantic coast. The proximity of those waters shapes career possibilities in ways few other regions can offer.

For students in the Outboard Marine Technology program, expos like this one translate coursework into context — putting a face on the industries they are training to enter and clarifying what additional steps, certifications, or education might lie between their current skills and a full career.

Families of students in St. Lucie's career and technical education programs can find information about upcoming events and program offerings through St. Lucie Public Schools. The district continues building connections between its classrooms and Treasure Coast employers.

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