Vigor

Vigor Marine Group has spent nearly two decades helping develop the next generation of tradespeople through our partnerships with local colleges and trades programs. This weekend, we saw that future first hand in Seattle, when 25 students from area high schools came to the Harbor Island Training Center for a welding competition organized by Core Plus Maritime.

Seeing this committed group of students flood in at 7am on a Saturday (!) to practice and show off their craft showed just how bright the future is for welding and maritime trades. A huge thank you goes to the Core Plus team and especially to the instructors who are inspiring their students every day.

Congratulations to the winners and to every student charting their course to rewarding careers with a strong mission and purpose. We can’t wait to see you working at a shipyard.

As Women’s History Month continues, we reflect on the trailblazing women who helped shape shipbuilding and skilled trades. In the 1940s, women stepped into roles in welding, electrical work, and fabrication. By 1943, they made up 65% of new hires in Oregon shipyards, helping expand opportunities in industrial careers.

Today, women continue to bring skill, leadership, and innovation to shipyards and trades across the country. We’re proud to support pathways that help more women build lasting careers in these fields.