Employee influx

Good people are the backbone of a strong maritime sector. Without them there can be no innovation, no growth, no future. That is why promoting the sector is so important. We focus on two groups of potential employees: young people, who will soon choose their post-secondary education, and lateral entrants, who often have the right potential, but for various reasons do not (yet) find their way into the sector.

It is becoming increasingly difficult to enthuse people for a job in the maritime sector. The pool of candidates is shrinking and competition with other sectors is growing. Therefore, joint action is of immense importance. Instead of competing with each other, we must enlarge the pool and promote throughput from one subsector to the other. This is the only way to ensure healthy dynamics in the maritime labor market.

To entice as many young people as possible to choose a career in the maritime sector, we work together with maritime educational institutes. For example, we have a special website where information about all maritime studies, schools and open days can be found easily. We also have maritime youth ambassadors who regularly give guest lectures at high schools. Furthermore, they share their experiences and stories about working in the maritime industry on social and in traditional media.

Global research has shown that there are substantial numbers of “hidden workers”: these are people who can and want to work but are excluded from the potential workforce due to poor recruiting practices. Hidden workers form a heterogeneous group consisting of, for example, immigrants, people with a disability, from underprivileged families or without traditional qualifications. The main reasons these employees are overlooked, in addition to prejudice, are a widening training gap and over-specified requirements. To unleash this untapped potential, the recruitment and selection process will have to be overhauled and companies must invest smartly in sufficient training opportunities.