Columbia Group joins calls for urgent maritime training

”The sector faces a mounting challenge: too few young professionals are choosing careers at sea,” it says. “This shrinking talent pipeline threatens not only ship operations but also the shore-based roles that depend on seasoned seafaring experience.”

Gregory Spourdalakis, managing director of the group’s Greek branch Columbia Ship Management, said predictions of shortages were no longer just predictions.

“Fewer graduates are coming out of maritime academies, and many lack the skills and incentives to remain in the profession long enough to progress into senior positions,” he said.

The Columbia Group says maritime training has not kept pace with modern shipping and many academies still operate with out-dated equipment and limited digital resources, while curricula ‘often fail to reflect evolving technological, regulatory and commercial realities’.

 “It is no surprise that many of our brightest Greek students are turning away from maritime officer training,” Spourdalakis said. “Unless we act, this drain of talent will leave companies struggling to fill key roles both at sea and ashore.”

It’s not just out-dated training that is the problem – yesterday’s mariners retiring and leaving gaps, and working conditions have long been highlighted as poor for younger seafarers. The Covid-19 lockdowns also had a part to play in putting potential crew off, after thousands were left stranded at sea as borders closed.

In a report by the Global Maritime Forum, Susanne Justesen, director of Human Sustainability, said: “Improving the working conditions of seafarers globally is no longer just a question of human well-being. As critical as that is, improving the well-being of the 1.9 million seafarers globally is now critical to avoiding existential threats to the smooth operation of global trade we rely on every day.”

The Columbia Group works across the sector, recently deciding to gain a foothold in the offshore wind industry as well.