Key Points

• More than 120 Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) students from Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia toured Marathon Petroleum’s inland marine operations in Catlettsburg, Kentucky.
• Students met with Marathon employees, toured the MV Marathon and learned about deckhand, operations and shoreside career opportunities.
• The visits built on Marathon’s support of JAG Kentucky by giving students direct exposure to workplace expectations and potential career pathways.

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For more than 120 Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) Kentucky students, two visits to Marathon Petroleum’s inland marine operations in Catlettsburg, Kentucky, offered a firsthand look at career paths they may not have considered before.

The students, representing JAG programs in Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia, toured the MV Marathon on the Ohio River and met with employees from Marine operations, human resources, training and other teams. Marathon employees helped lead the experience, sharing what life on the river can look like and discussing deckhand, operations and shoreside career opportunities.

“The Marathon experience provided JAG students with a valuable, real world learning opportunity that sparked curiosity, encouraged questions and highlighted potential careers in the industry,” said Sherry Crockett, a JAG specialist. “I was thrilled that some students expressed interest in Marathon’s job application process, demonstrating how employer engagement can help reduce barriers to employment, one component of the JAG model.”

"The partnership between Jobs for Kentucky’s Graduates and Marathon Petroleum is creating meaningful career connections for our JAG students. Through classroom visits and on-site visits to Marathon’s terminal operations, students are gaining direct exposure to the petroleum transportation industry, workplace expectations and career pathways that are helping prepare Kentucky’s future workforce.” - Greg Conley, JAG Director of Development and Employer Engagement

JAG Kentucky is part of the national Jobs for America’s Graduates organization and helps students build leadership, employability and life skills as they prepare for graduation and their next steps. The program serves as a school to work transition program and emphasizes project-based learning, employer engagement and practical career readiness.

Marathon Petroleum made a donation to JAG Kentucky in 2023 to help students in northeastern Kentucky attend leadership training and visit the company’s refinery and marine facility. The May tours built on that support by connecting students directly with employees who could answer questions, share career advice and show how classroom skills translate to the workplace.

“JAG is more than a class on a schedule,” said Carla Faulkner, a JAG specialist. “It’s hands on experience. Seeing our students step out of the classroom, engage with local industry and envision their own futures is what JAG is truly about.”

For Marathon employees, the tours were a chance to support students while introducing them to an industry that plays an important role in the region. For students, the experience offered something meaningful: a clearer view of what their future could hold.