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FUTURE GENERATIONS
The next generation in
the invisible shipping industry
Shipping is facing a big problem in sourcing the next generation of seafarers, with
younger people leaving the industry, or not joining at all, writes Stephen Westfield
IN LATE 2017, I WAS SHOCKED TO
receive more than 30 email bounce
backs from a distribution to Young
Shipping Australia (YSA) members after
sending out an invitation to one of
our monthly functions. They had left
the industry, moved on from the lines,
logistics providers, freight forwarders
and associated industry companies
where they had once worked and had
been valued industry contributors.
It was a sobering reality that many
young people had quit the industry.
It is true we had just come out of the
longest and most depressed periods
for shipping rates in a generation. The
email bounce-backs drove home that
suddenly, there were fewer opportunities,
stagnant wage growth, smaller bonuses
and more attractive jobs elsewhere in
other industries. In addition, there has
been progressively more automation in
shipping which has resulted in rising
redundancies and the movement of
back-office roles away from Australia to
cheaper labour markets. Few industries,
and shipping is certainly not one of
them, have not been seriously affected by
digital technology and a relentless search
by major employers for low-cost labour.
At sea, there is a looming shortage
of seafarers. A Drewry report released
in early 2018 warned that, globally,
shipping will require an additional
42,500 officers by 2019. Attracting the
next generation of workers at sea from
the most consumerist generation in
history is proving difficult. Increasingly
quicker port turnarounds, stringent
security and visa requirements,
combined with seven-day working weeks
and long periods of time away from
family, the industry faces a challenging
task in attracting the best people.
So what attracts people to maritime
industry in the first place? This
silent industry dominated by global
conglomerates few outside have heard
of that are responsible for ultimately
transporting almost every item bought
by households worldwide. I believe
that most people who end up working
in the maritime industry simply fall
into it through family or a friend, or
by applying for a job after university
The email bounce-backs drove home that suddenly,
there were fewer opportunities, stagnant wage
growth, smaller bonuses and more attractive jobs
elsewhere in other industries
or school to a company that happens
to be logistics-related. Intentional or
not, industry joiners will soon come
to a realisation of a whole new world.
The scale of the industry that delivers
your winter sweater or newest iPhone is
mind-boggling once it is appreciated how
complex it is. Some are attracted to the
romanticism of a career in the industry
involving great vessels, international
trade across jurisdictions and vast seas.
I believe there is room for
improvement here in Australia. We
need to attract the best and brightest
to our industry, as we have fallen well
behind based on comparisons with other
more traditional maritime countries
such as Singapore, Germany, Greece
and the Scandinavian nations. The
Singapore Maritime Foundation is worth
noting for promoting potential career
paths within the industry for talented
university graduates. It is not only up
to industry bodies, but also the private
sector to share the role of attracting the
best young strategic thinkers with an
aptitude for technology. With improving
freight rates and for most global shipping
companies, it will be interesting to see
if better returns allow for more enticing
offers to potential industry entrants. It
will be the industry that benefits most by
adopting this course of thinking.
YSA was established to encourage and
assist young professionals in the shipping
industry in Australia with regular
educational and social events tailored to
professional development for the under
35s age group. If you would like to get
involved in Young Shipping Australia,
our email is ysa@shippingaustralia.
com.au. Upcoming YSA events in
Sydney include networking drinks in
July and a breakfast panel with industry
representatives in August. You can also
kickstart your knowledge of the shipping
industry with online training courses
available through Shipping Australia at:
www.shippingaustralia.com.au/coursesand-careers/courses/online-courses/.
Above: Stephen Westfield, chairman, Young
Shipping Australia, New South Wales
Image supplied
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First published in 1891
July 2018 thedcn.com.au