Solent University in Southampton is carrying out a year-long project examining seafarers’ welfare which focuses on mentoring seafarers. The Mentoring Seafarers’ Project is looking at what the industry is offering in terms of mentoring provision, highlighting how it can help to combat issues faced at sea in order to improve the wellbeing of seafarers.
The Mentoring Seafarers Project recognises the importance of mentoring in developing people’s skills, improving their welfare and safety. The project explores various mentoring schemes within shipping companies internationally.
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It aims to raise awareness for sustainable mentoring initiatives and encourage best practice to ensure long-term benefits in education and well-being are considered for the seafaring community.
InterManager Secretary-General Capt Szymanski, noted:
To ensure out seafarers are doing the most effective job, it is important they are given the necessary support to overcome these. However, it is important to remember seafaring is a very rewarding and fulfilling job. Similar to other industries, mental health is a challenge that must be supported and not ignored. I welcome the IMO’s excellent campaign this year.
At a glance, the objectives of the Mentoring Seafarers’ Project are the following:
- Review the value of mentoring and its current place within the seafaring community.
- Demonstrate how mentoring can help and support the seafaring community from a welfare, safety and economic perspective.
- Conduct an international shipping company audit of current mentoring schemes.
- Development of a report to highlight the best practices of mentoring on board, and other tools to disseminate and highlight best practice and awareness of it to the industry.