SLCC and the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON) recently held an Open House event at the Maritime and Corporate Training Center in Houma to celebrate its partnership.  SLCC administrators along with area dignitaries shared remarks and then enjoyed a delicious Boucherie.

The program was opened with a welcome by Mr. Anthony Baham of SLCC and was followed by local representatives Jerome Zeringue and Beryl Amedee, as well as Drs. Craig McClain, Kristine Strickland and Jermaine Ford, among others.

Mr. Walt Cenac with CENAC Marine Services was there to represent Mr. Arlen Benny Cenac, CEO of Cenac Marine Services, who In November 2017 dedicated a fully refurbished barge to South Louisiana Community College’s Maritime training program. Mr. Cenac and employees met with Captain Carl Moore of SLCC and discovered the need for updated equipment and have since made this need come to fruition.

The very first open enrollment class began in August. Depending on the size of the class, hands-on barge training can last approximately eight hours long. The goal of the South Louisiana Community College and their Maritime training program is to offer the class every two weeks, depending on instructor availability. They currently have two Cenac Boat Captains serving as tankerman instructors during their off time.  The Cenac instructors have been certified through the state of Louisiana to teach the course. It takes a total of 32 hours to complete the course. After completion of the course, they are required to complete basic firefighting training before they can become a certified tankerman.

Mr. Arlen Benny Cenac Jr. stated, “From the very start of this project I have been excited about what we can offer to the community and to those interested in becoming tankermen. My company and I are fortunate to have the opportunity to provide a hands on learning experience to many people for years to come.”

People interested in taking the class can register on site at 331 Dickson Road in Houma. The barge is also housed at this location. Captain Carl Moore, Assistant Dean of Marine Operations said, “The barge donated by Mr. Cenac and Cenac Marine services has been a game changer.  We’re excited to be able to offer hands on, real life experience while under the supervision of an instructor. This will help everyone in a way we just haven’t been able to in the past.”

To learn more about South Louisiana Community College and its Maritime training offerings, please visit, http://www.solacc.edu. More information on this inaugural class was featured on Workboat’s website.  To read about the barge dedication that took place in 2017 please see this article.

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