Advise for kid starting out in US Gulf

i got an 18 year old step son am trying to get employed on water

have his TWIC on the way then will work on MMC

he expressed interest working deepdraft, had taken him on one of the AMSEA LMSR’s when he was a kid among several other foreign flag ships, we went to the MSC job fair but he seems a bit too entitled to want to hawsepipe up to OS or AB from the get in the door jobs, nor do I think he could handle Piney Point SIU unlicenced apprenticeship at this juncture, dont see him hitching deep draft without a union memebership, am I wrong ?

but he did work one summer brownwater in LMR supporting a dredge op when he was 16, his dad is a tug master (long story why i am helping him and not his dad)

can some of the pros here give me some guidance on entry level deck hand jobs, is the MMC enough or does he need any other endorsements to start out ?

seems to be plenty of opportunity for unlicensed deck hands as well as tankerman here in the Gulf have been looking at Kirby’s website and others

is pay better on tug or OSV and if he wanted to work on a rig what offshore what licenses and endorsements would he need to start out

is there any benefit to him joining a union starting out in brownwater or offshore light tonnage or tig trades ?

thanks for comments