Over 40% of Maritime Firms Fail to Fund Training
funding figures it comes as no surprise that we had 40% of our respondents answer yes to the question: ‘Is retention a challenge for your business?’. The industry clearly has some way to go with regards to retaining talent and career progression.”Early 2019 saw the UK’s Department for Transport set out its vision for people in maritime as part of its ‘Maritime 2050: Navigating the Future’ strategy document. Here it was noted that a solid partnership between universities, training institutions, government, regulators and maritime companies is critical if
"Maritime & Me" Campaign Targets Women
British maritime organization Maritime UK and the UK government’s Department for Transport (DfT) as well as the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers (ICS) have jointly launched ‘Maritime and Me’, a new campaign to highlight the role of women in the maritime industry and encourage more of them to join the sector. The project is funded by the DfT and will focus on attracting more women to work in the maritime industry as well as on promoting jobs in the sector to a wider diversity of people. The campaign will also further highlight women already working in a wide range of roles within
MCA’s CEO Massey to Retire by End 2018
Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) chief executive Sir Alan Massey announced he plans to retire from the role before the end of 2018. The Department of Transport will begin its search for Massey’s successor on March 19. Massey will continue in his role until late 2018 to allow the chief executive appointment process to take place. Massey joined the MCA in July 2010 after a 33-year career with the Royal Navy, where he left as Second Sea Lord. During his eight-year tenure at MCA, Massey steered the agency through changes to modernize Her Majesty’s Coastguard, new
Women in Maritime: New UK Taskforce Established
welcomed by the U.K.’s new Maritime Minister, Nusrat Ghani MP. “I am delighted to see Maritime UK taking action to attract more women into our maritime industries, and I welcome this taskforce as an important first step,” said Ghani, who is only the second woman to hold the Department for Transport portfolio for the U.K.’s £40 billion maritime sector. “There is a fantastic wealth and breadth of career opportunities in maritime, and I am determined to see more women accessing these,” Ghani said. Ghani’s predecessor, Rt Hon John
UK Shipping Seeks to Double Seafarer Training Fund
has this week written to the Secretary of State for Transport, Chris Grayling, asking the Government to double the amount of funding available for seafarer training as soon as possible. The letter was also sent to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond and the Minister of State, Department for Transport, John Hayes. The UK Chamber, in conjunction with Nautilus International, has submitted a proposal for the Government's existing Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) scheme to be extended. “The Government’s review of SMarT recognised that change
Two New Themes for Seafarers Awareness Week
the profile of jobs within the whole UK maritime industry, including seafaring. Addressing the official Seafarers Awareness Week launch event at sponsor Inmarsat’s London HQ, Commodore Barry Bryant CVO RN, Director General of Seafarers UK, underlined that despite recent reports by the Department for Transport about declining UK seafarer numbers, there was cause for optimism following the UK Maritime Growth Study recommendations and Maritime UK becoming the promotional body for the whole UK maritime industry, bringing together for the first time shipping, ports, marine and business service
Action Must be Taken If We are to Address UK Seafarer Shortfall
UK Chamber CEO Guy Platten has responded to the publication of the Department for Transport Seafarer Projections Review by calling on government to back its SMarT Plus proposal. The Department for Transport has this week published a study to assess the UK supply and demand for trained seafarers to fulfill roles at sea and onshore over the coming decade. The UK Seafarer Projections study identified a shortage of 3,000- 4,000 UK deck and engine officers, and 2,000 UK ratings by 2026. The report suggests that in order to avoid the shortfall the annual intake of UK officer trainees
UK to Create Shipping Jobs through New SMarT+
could increase to 1200 under a new industry proposal that would see shipowners commit to employing cadets after their training is completed. Major employers including Shell and Carnival have already committed to the scheme. The scheme, documented in a business case presented to the Department for Transport and developed by the UK Chamber of Shipping, Merchant Navy Training Board and Nautilus International, calls for the Government to double seafarer training funding from £15m to £30m. At present, Government’s Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) stands
INTERTANKO Reelects Tsakos as Chairman
Dr. Nikolas Tsakos of Tsakos Energy Navigation Ltd. was reelected for two further years by the INTERTANKO Council who met this week in London. The Council members also engaged in dialogue with the IMO Secretary General, Kitack Lim, as well as the Rt Hon John Hayes CBE, Minister of State (Department for Transport). Lim, who has been Secretary General since January 2016, expressed his positive views about the contribution of INTERTANKO to the regulatory process at IMO: “The contribution made by INTERTANKO to the regulatory process at IMO has been of tremendous value over many
How Can the Marine Industry Counteract Its Aging Workforce?
years that the maritime industry is facing a workforce crisis. A lack of newly trained candidates to fill the gaps caused by retirement of an aging workforce, now compounded even further by the oil price crash, means marine companies are beginning to feel the pressure of staff shortages. The U.K. Department for Transport (DFT) predicts a shortfall of around 3,500 deck and engineering officers by 2021 in the U.K. alone, and the BIMCO / ICS Manpower Report predicts the global shortfall of 147,500 officers by 2025. The maritime industry used to be popular as a way to see the world while working
Mersey Maritime Apprentice Invited to Westminister
got a chance to visit No.10 Downing Street and the House of Commons after meeting the Shipping Minister, John Hayes, MP on an official visit. The 18-year-old Apprentice, who has been with Mersey Maritime since finishing her A-levels last year, spent a day in Westminster. She visited Hayes at the Department for Transport, watched a Parliamentary debate in the House of Commons and had her photo taken in front of the famous black door of No.10 Downing Street. Former Halewood Academy pupil Livvy said, “I felt very privileged meeting Mr. Hayes and visiting Parliament. His staff were extremely
