More Needs to be Done to Address Maritime Skills Gap

More Needs to be Done to Address Maritime Skills Gap
13/09/2019 https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/more-needs-to-be-done-to-address-ma...

Global research recently conducted by Lloyd’s Maritime Academy, the experts in life-long learning for maritime professionals, has revealed that over 67% of people surveyed believe that there is a skills gap within the sector with over 20% specifically indicating a gap within technology and IT.

The research was conducted last month and featured over 500 responses from professionals around the world and from different sectors of the maritime industry. Ted Bailey, Head of Digital Learning at Lloyd’s Maritime Academy states: “It’s somewhat worrying to see that little progress is being made towards addressing the skills gap – a topic that has been discussed by industry for a number of years. Couple this with the retention and funding issues that our research also highlighted, it’s safe to say, we’ve still got some way to go.”

The UK’s Department for Transport strategy document, ‘Maritime 2050: Navigating the Future’ notes that without continuous learning, the industry risks challenges such as increased costs from high staff turnover and career progression for individuals could suffer.

Ted continues: “For some organisations, these are very real challenges that are happening now, and the issue will only exacerbate if not addressed. Talented people within this sector are being lost to other industries because organisations are failing to plan for the long-term. We need 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.”
Source: Lloyd’s Maritime Academy