Shipyard Trades Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Steady Year-Round Marine Structural Work on the Gulf Coast

Job Overview

• Company: Talco Workforce
• Pay:
• Day Shift: $25.00–$29.00 per hour
• Night Shift: $26.50–$31.00 per hour
• Location: Harvey, Houma, Lockport, LA and Pascagoula, MS
• Employment Type: Full-Time
• Project Scope: Marine structural fitting and vessel assembly
• Licenses / Certifications: None required

The Opportunity

Talco Workforce is hiring experienced First Class Ship Fitters for steady, year-round shipyard work along the Gulf Coast.

This is a strong opportunity for skilled fitters who want consistent hours, overtime potential, and long-term work in a high-demand marine trade. We are especially interested in candidates with shipyard fitting experience who are open to traveling or relocating to Louisiana or Mississippi for ongoing vessel projects.

If you can read blueprints, fit structural components, and work confidently in a shipyard environment, this role gives you the chance to put your skills to work on specialized marine vessels with consistent project demand.

What You’ll Do

• Read and interpret marine structural blueprints, drawings, layouts, and sketches.
• Lay out, fit, and assemble vessel structural components according to specifications.
• Measure, mark, cut, grind, shape, and prepare steel or aluminum components for assembly.
• Fit bulkheads, frames, plates, brackets, clips, and other structural vessel parts.
• Work with tack welders and welders to ensure proper fit-up before final welding.
• Check alignment, measurements, and tolerances before components are secured.
• Use hand tools, grinders, torches, saws, measuring tools, and other shipyard fitting equipment.
• Work in confined vessel spaces, hull sections, and active shipyard environments.
• Follow shipyard safety procedures and use required PPE at all times.
• Communicate clearly with supervisors, welders, tackers, and other trades.

What We’re Looking For

• Experience as a ship fitter, structural fitter, marine fitter, or similar heavy fabrication role.
• Ability to accurately read and work from marine structural blueprints.
• Strong layout, measuring, cutting, grinding, and fitting skills.
• Experience fitting steel, aluminum, or both.
• Ability to work in confined vessel spaces and physically demanding environments.
• Strong understanding of shipyard safety expectations.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a crew.
• Ability to pass any client-side fit test, interview, or trade evaluation if required.

Preferred Experience

• 3–5+ years of shipyard or marine structural fitting experience.
• Experience fitting both steel and aluminum components.
• Experience working with tack welders and welders during fit-up.
• Oxy-acetylene torch, plasma cutting, or other cutting/shaping experience.
• Formal trade school or technical training in structural fitting, shipfitting, or marine fabrication.

Important Notes

• This is a ship fitter role, not a dedicated welder role.
• Welding experience is helpful, but blueprint reading and fitting experience are the key requirements.
• Candidates who cannot read prints may not qualify for First Class Ship Fitter openings.
• Steel and aluminum shipfitting experience are both valuable for this opportunity.

Why This Is a Great Opportunity

• Steady, year-round shipyard work.
• Long-term assignment potential.
• Day and night shift opportunities.
• Night shift differential available.
• Weekly pay.
• Overtime potential.
• Per diem may be available for eligible travelers based on assignment distance and client requirements.
• Opportunity to work on specialized marine and government-related vessel projects.
• Work with a Gulf Coast staffing team that understands shipyard trades and can help match your experience with the right assignment.

Work Environment

This role takes place in active shipyard environments. Work may be performed on vessels, inside hulls, through manholes, in confined spaces, and in elevated work areas. Candidates must be able to follow safety procedures and bring or use required PPE when directed.

About Talco Workforce

Talco Workforce is a Gulf Coast staffing company focused on connecting skilled tradespeople with strong opportunities in the marine, industrial, and shipyard industries. We work closely with candidates to understand their experience, goals, and availability so we can place them in roles where they can succeed.

Talco Workforce is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, military status, or any other protected status.