The maritime sector is evolving, creating opportunities for the younger generation to actively participate and fostering an environment that champions diversity, equality, and inclusiveness. During the last CAREER4SEA Forum, speakers of a dedicated panel discussed how the industry can meet the expectations of the young generations to attract, retain, and develop future crews.
The panel was moderated by Sandra Psychogiou, Editor In Chief, SAFETY4SEA, and included the following experts: Antigoni Botsi, Regional HR Manager GR and CY, V. Ships Greece Ltd.; Chris Hall, MD Hong Kong, American Club; Capt. Konstantinos G. Karavasilis, Regional Director, Loss Prevention, UK P&I Club; and Capt. VS Parani, Vice President – Marine, Tufton Asset Management who deliberated on the advantages of psychological safety and mentorship within the maritime industry, underscoring the importance of increasing awareness and promoting initiatives related to mental health and well-being.
Challenges and opportunities
Starting the discussion, Antigoni Botsi noted that the industry has evolved during the last years to keep pace with the latest developments and the new era, trying to adapt to the new generation’s demands with flexibility and foster an environment of diversity, equity, and inclusion. This is also part of the industry’s ESG agenda.
For us, the main challenge is to identify people who would like to be part of our organization even at an intern level. We need to offer a competitive package to ensure that these will be the future employees,
…she said.
“I think it is very important that we compete with all the other industries and that we are a vitally important industry with a lot of challenges ahead of us and a lot of opportunities at the same time. Our industry has a lot to offer to young people: a dynamic, challenging, flexible, but also fun environment!” added Chris Hall, who explained that shipping is fun considering that it is a truly international industry, ever-changing, and diverse.
Continuing the discussion, Capt. Kostas Karavasilis stressed the need to consider that the industry offers both shore-based jobs and seafaring jobs. As an industry, especially for people ashore, shipping has managed to support inclusion and diversity and provide a welcoming environment despite the demands and difficulties.
However, considering the worrying statistics about seafarers’ shortage, we need to focus on making the working environment onboard more competitive and attractive for the younger generation. “This is a priority not only for youngsters but also for qualified individuals having certain skills that my generation didn’t need to have. It is a very critical and complex challenge,” Capt. Kostas noticed.
Capt. Parani agreed that we are doing a good job as an industry, embracing young talents, but there is still a lot of work to be done. “We see in some countries with a population of 10 million, the number of people who join shipping as cadets is probably less than 50 or 100! That trend should be of concern, and for the future, we need to look at various strategies on how to attract the right talents,” Capt. Parani emphasized.
Against the imminent crew shortage
Speakers expressed their views about the concerning crew shortage for which BIMCO and ICS have warned that the industry must significantly increase training and recruitment levels. In addition, Chris Hall underscored the importance of wellness.
Wellness is a difficult but a low hanging fruit available for our industry in trying to improve seafarers,
…he said.
As he explained, many stakeholders in the maritime industry, from P&I Clubs to ship owners and crew managers, are putting a lot of effort into making life at sea more comfortable by examining all aspects of wellness. “Especially nowadays that we have just come out from the era of COVID and another crisis is ahead of us, people seek stability. In that regard, it is important to remember that we need to provide our seafarers with stability as well,” Capt Kostas explained. According to his view, stability for seafarers means having a clear picture of their future and what the industry can offer them. It is not only about the monetary or the connection issue. Contract stability is also important.
Capt. Parani also agreed with this view, adding that apart from stability, career evolution is equally vital. “The young generation wants to see there are career opportunities available and along with stability, they look for engagement. Therefore, people who join the industry would like to see a clear career path, to know about the certain skills they are required to have and feel they are part of the journey. They need to be accountable for, they need knowledge and feedback.”
Continuing the discussion, Antigoni Botsi raised the issue of psychological safety. “Ensuring the safety of our onboard personnel is our primary concern as a ship management company. Psychological safety is equally crucial, and to address this, we have implemented additional activities. For example, at our main office in Manila, where the majority of our crew originates from the Philippines, we organize Family Days to welcome and engage with seafarers’ families. Through this initiative, seafarers understand that we also prioritize the well-being of their families onshore.”
Time to embrace mentoring
Many believe that in an industry where safety is paramount, mentoring can play a crucial role in helping individuals in the shipping industry develop a broad range of skills.
I think mentoring can be a gift to both the mentor and the mentee. It is an important relationship in which both sides gain benefits. I see mentoring as a holistic and wide-ranging personal assistance or coaching since it is not limited to only one thing but it can cover a range of topics,
…Chris Hall stated.
Chris explained that valuable knowledge can be gained through mentoring: from practical and technical skills to soft skills, understanding the culture of an organization, and other topics that are not typically taught in schools or universities but are learned through on-the-job training. Furthermore, mentoring can offer knowledge to young people on how to develop their career, networking opportunities, personal growth, and real-world practical learning.
From the mentor’s perspective, it’s important to emphasize the significance of humility, as noted by Chris Hall. Antigoni Botsi also referred to ‘reverse mentoring’ which is the reverse, meaning the younger employees are the mentors while the mentees are from the management team. This can bring insight into the challenges the employees are facing which could also work positively in the culture and the engagement of people.
Explore more by watch the video herebelow
