SEAFARING: HOW TO BEST APPEAL TO NEW GENERATION

Improving life at sea and attracting the best talent for the industry with a worker shortage looming was one of the hot topics discussed at the Maritime CEO Forum in Singapore.

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Panellists looked at how to best appeal to the new generation but also how to make life easier for the ones at sea today.

Panellists discussed how working conditions have changed in the post-pandemic era. Most agreed that the focus has shifted a lot more towards the mental health of seafarers and the understanding of how situations like the pandemic or the stress of working at sea can influence crews.

This was stressed by ship Management Company Synergy Marine Group Co-CEO Swaminathan Hari, who noted that available data shows the number of suicides onboard is at an all-time high today. This, according to him, shows that drastic measures must be taken to secure the mental stability of crews at sea.

However, mental health is only one part of the overall crewing puzzle. People are now looking for a better work-life balance, which South32 Head of Vetting George Mathews said was also partially due to the pandemic. “People don’t want too much pressure. Pre-COVID, people worked from the time they woke up till they went to sleep. Now, people want to be very clear about the time they spend in the office, the time when they spend at home, and the quality of life that they have,” Mathews said.