River Life Continues To Beckon, Offer Rewards

As Generation Z (defined as between 12 and 24 years old in 2024) continues to enter the workforce, the business press is addressing the issues and challenges they face. We read about the years they spent under COVID lockdown, corporate uncertainty, wage flattening, inflation, questions about the role of college in an age of crushing student debts and the still-unknown challenges that artificial intelligence will pose to their search for rewarding work.

If any of our readers has a young relative who might be interested in a career on the rivers, or even in trying out the life, you can help them explore their options by handing them this issue of The Waterways Journal. Here they can read about the myriad pathways our profiled captains found into their careers on—and next to—the rivers and waterways.   

One theme that emerges in our captains’ stories is the importance of mentorship. All of this issue’s captains pay tribute to mentors who encouraged and trained them, and they in their turn are handing on that knowledge. That’s not something all industries or career paths offer these days.

It remains as true as ever that a career on the inland waterways is a great way for a young person to build a meaningful, rewarding life. It’s a strenuous life that requires some sacrifice and may not be for everyone. It requires hard work and continual learning, but it will repay them both. That could mean qualifying as a tankerman, earning a license as a pilot or captain or working in a support industry.

Entire industries are being reshaped by technology, and some former career paths are disappearing. But we can say with complete confidence that the river industry is not going anywhere. We will always need barges to carry big cargoes, boats to push them, crews to man those boats, ports to service them and industries to support and supply them. There will always be room for motivated people to build fulfilling, rewarding careers on the waterways.