On July 22, MITAGS West had the privilege to host the Duwamish Valley Youth Corps of the Duwamish River Community Coalition at the campus for a tour and discussion. Also known as the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition, the DRCC works to keep the Duwamish River clean and free of pollution for the benefit of the environment and surrounding neighborhoods, tribal organizations, and businesses. The DRCC also provides education and engages the community with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Superfund cleanup of the Duwamish River.
The DRCC Youth Corps’ visit was coordinated by Tiffany Sevilla, Program Manager and Data Analyst, Maritime & Green Jobs Workforce Development for the Port of Seattle. The visit included a presentation and discussion about careers in the maritime industry and the benefits of apprenticeship as a path to entering the industry. Patrick Dougan, one of our own apprenticeship program graduates, spoke to the group. Dougan is now the Port Captain for Vane Brothers in Seattle.
The members of the Youth Corps also had the opportunity to spend time in the simulator and experience first-hand what it might be like working a day in the life as a tug operator. “One of the participants said he’d been having a hard day and that his experience at MITAGS really cheered him up,” Tiffany Sevilla said. “Your outreach is making a difference.”