Snow & Company highlights proven workforce solutions in Senate testimony

The WorkBoat team visited Snow & Company in November 2024. Pictured under construciton are the Seattle-shipyard's 30’x15’x6’ Workboat Medium vessels for the Navy and a 178'x68’ barge for waterfront neighbor Western Towboat. Doug Stewart photos.

As part of our Career Connect Washington Maritime Sector ongoing work, we actively track, document, and inform about emerging technologies and trends. As maritime companies continue to struggle to fill job vacancies, a small, family-run shipyard in Seattle believes it has found a winning strategy.

Snow & Company Inc., which builds workboats, pilot boats, fishing vessels, and tugboats at its facility along the Lake Washington Ship Canal, has developed what it calls “hiring from non-traditional avenues,” which means diving deep into labor markets that have been traditionally ignored by the maritime industry. 

In addition to targeting maritime trade schools, Snow taps veterans, ex-prisoners, or those starting work release, and in a more innovative approach, immigrants and refugees, many of whom do not speak English when hired. 

Tuuli Snow, talent acquisition and engagement manger at Snow, spoke about the innovations at an Oct. 28 hearing before the Senate Commerce Committee’s Coast Guard, Maritime and Fisheries subcommittee that focused on the revitalization of U.S. shipbuilding.

Go to this link to read the full article published by WorkBoat https://www.workboat.com/snow-company-highlights-workforce-solutions-in-senate-testimony