Canada: Seafarer shortage looms for ship companies: Training institute, union hiring initiative will be highlighted Sunday in St. Catharines

Seafarer shortage looms for ship companies: Training institute, union hiring initiative will be highlighted Sunday in St. Catharines
Jun 18, 2018 https://www.niagarathisweek.com/news-story/8678896-seafarer-shortage-loo...

The shadows of visitors at Lock 3 are shown against a ship earlier this year. - Scott Rosts/Metroland
ST. CATHARINES — An aging workforce means ship companies may be facing a labour shortage soon.

And right now, 300 seafarer positions need to be filled, and more will be needed as many of those working aboard ships navigating the Great Lakes are aging.

With that in mind, the Seafarers’ Training Institute, in partnership with the Seafarers' International Union (SIU) of Canada, Algoma Central Corp., Canadian Steamship Lines (CSL) and Groupe Desgagnés have launched a national hiring initiative aimed at recruiting, training and retaining youth for Canada’s growing merchant marine.

A recruitment event is being held Sunday at the St. Catharines Museum & Welland Canals Centre, at the Lock 3 Complex, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The initiative is the first of its kind and scale in the Canadian shipping industry, and positions filled will address an ongoing labour shortage and impending crisis in one of Canada’s fastest-growing industries.

“The Seafarers’ Training Institute campaign will inform Canadian youth as well as experienced workers about the good-paying job opportunities in Canada’s marine industry,” said Vince Giannopoulos, SIU member and campaign spokesperson. “I started as a seafarer when I was 21 years old, and it was the best decision I ever made. I was making more than $60,000 a year right out of high school.”

In addition to stable employment, recruits can benefit from a paid education, skills upgrading and free room and board through the SIU’s unlicensed apprenticeship program.

The SIU of Canada has an immediate need to recruit 300 new seafarers, as well as an ongoing need to fill positions of an aging workforce. SIU members are hired to work for companies like Canada Steamship Lines, Algoma Central Corp. and Groupe Desgagnés, on vessels in the Great Lakes, and on the East and West Coasts.

The SIU of Canada represents most unlicensed sailors in Canada. Within the next five years, almost 20 per cent of SIU members will retire; meanwhile Canada’s marine shipping industry is projected to increase significantly over the coming years.

At the national level, the Canadian commercial marine-shipping industry directly contributes $3 billion to the GDP. The hiring initiative through the Seafarers’ Training Institute will serve to provide Canadian youth and experienced workers with secure, good-paying jobs while ensuring Canada’s shipping industry continues to prosper.

“The economic importance of Canada’s marine-shipping industry cannot be understated. We need to fill jobs so we can continue to deliver important cargo across our country,” says James Given, president of the Seafarers’ Training Institute. “Canada is a great trading nation, and joining our country’s merchant marine is a not just a smart career move, it’s a strategic one.”

The St. Catharines event will be attended by Vincent Giannopolous, spokesperson for the Be a Seafarer campaign; James Given, president, Seafarers’ Training Institute; and the Seafarers’ International Union of Canada; as well as Niagara Centre MP Vance Badawey.

The recruitment initiative is complemented by a campaign microsite where interested applicants can learn more about the benefits of a career at sea. Potential recruits can apply online at www.beaseafarer.ca.