OUTER BANKS, N.C. — Spring North Carolina ferry schedules were recently updated to include more trips throughout the day, but while visitation is expected to go up, so have the worker shortages.

What You Need To Know

• North Carolina ferries transport over 2 million passengers a year
• Increased tourism has put a strain of transportation services in the Outer Banks
• The N.C. Ferry Division is hiring multiple positions of all experience levels to combat worker shortages

In February, the N.C. Ferry Division hosted four job fairs to combat worker shortages and make sure they’re ready to go for the summer season. Jed Dixon, the deputy director of the North Carolina Ferry Division, says this problem isn’t new.

“It’s a challenge hard on the Outer Banks right now. There’s a shortage of workers throughout the Outer Banks and we are competing with every restaurant and motel… it’s been tough the last few years just having the required staff at the location just because of the amount of people that’s required to operate it,” Dixon said.

During the summer months, Patrick Dely operates the passenger ferry. It's a ferry without vehicles that recently launched to help relieve traffic at the terminals.

He’s spent nine years with the N.C. Ferry Division and says the job has a lot of flexibility. 

“You know that you can make it what you want. I mean, you can be shy and you know, head downstairs into the engine room or go up to the top to the pilot house,” Dely said.

NCDOT has positions available from entry level to more senior positions and even offers housing for some of the ferry positions. For more information on jobs with the N.C. Ferry Division, click here.