Lloyd’s Maritime Academy carried out a global research, revealing that over 67% of people surveyed believe that there is a skills gap within the sector. What is more, about 20% specifically indicated a gap within technology and IT.
The research included more than 500 responses from professionals around the world and from different sectors of the maritime industry.
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Commenting on the results, Ted Bailey, head of digital learning at Lloyd’s Maritime Academy, said that it is worrying to see that little progress is being made towards addressing the skills gap, especially as it is a topic that has been discussed by industry for a many years.
If this is combined with the retention and funding issues that the research also highlighted, it would be safe to say, that the world has still got some way to go, Ted Bailey added.
What is more, the UK’s Department for Transport strategy document ‘Maritime 2050: Navigating the Future’ notes that without continuous learning, the maritime industry risks facing challenges like increased costs from high staff turnover, while career progression for individuals could experience problems.
Mr. Bailey explained that talented people within this industry are being lost to other industries, due to organisations failure to plan for the long-term.
The maritime industry needs to get serious about providing lifelong learning and a professional career path for these individuals – only then will we have any hope of attracting more people to the industry and help bridge the gap in the future