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Skills gap in the marine industry

25 November 2024

Skills gap in the
marine industry

By Sean McNamara Branch Manager, Worcester

Isometric view of a sailboat docked on wooden planks near water, with three people working on it.

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Recruiting in the marine industry

The marine industry has always been renowned for circulating the same people among companies with personnel often recruited from friends, a competitor’s employees, or an acquaintance from the yacht club.

However, in more recent times, a combination of factors has come together to create a perfect storm when it comes to recruiting staff in the marine industry leading to a growing skills shortage across the UK and Europe, exacerbated by persistent and challenging external circumstances.

Illustration of a person fixing a sailboat mast while suspended in a harness. The boat, integral to the marine industry, is on a dry dock, viewed from above.

Industry outlook

Across the industry there is an aging workforce, and a lack of students and young people entering. Ongoing repercussions from Brexit mean that the marine industry faces stringent immigration requirements even for skilled workers. Younger people are being lost to other industries, there is a challenge when it comes to pay and there is a strong demand for specialist staff, particularly in the commercial marine industry. Added to this, there is economic uncertainty, wars, and the remaining effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In addition, marine businesses are increasingly taking a digital approach to their day-to-day tasks and workers who lack the skills to use the new technology are being left behind.

Each of these factors individually could be manageable but together have created a difficult environment and a skills shortage that marine businesses need to navigate their way around.

People and skills challenge

According to British Marine’s “Industry Priorities 2024 – 2029” report, the need to address the ‘people and skills’ challenge is repeatedly cited as a top priority by marine businesses.

The skills shortage is said to be especially acute amongst the UK’s smaller boat building companies, who are struggling to expand as they often lack the resources needed to take on and train new recruits. As a result, the jobs market continues to be tight – a war for talent amidst skills shortages and a historically low unemployment rate.

In order to stand a better chance of bridging this skills gap, it’s crucial for employers to understand what the obstacles to attracting a skilled workforce are, with employee’s concerns including the lack of competitive pay, a poor work / life balance, unrealistic job expectations, limited opportunities for career progression and a lack of flexibility when it comes to remote working and flexible hours.

Illustration of a person in a bright orange outfit standing on cracked ground with hands placed on the head.

Illustration of a cargo ship with a large open cargo hold and a crane on the deck for loading and unloading materials.

New approaches in the marine industry

To negate this skills shortage, employers in the marine industry are initiating a variety of approaches.

The skills shortage in some sectors has led to increased starting salaries, and employers are increasingly prioritising the employee’s mental wellbeing and career progression, by incorporating flexible working, upskilling and career development opportunities. There is also a greater conscientiousness around equality, diversity, and inclusion.

In recent years, companies have also become more open to recruiting from outside of the marine industry. This brings in new blood with fresh ideas, knowledge, and different training, together with a broader range of experiences.

By bringing in people from other industries, marine businesses gain a high level of externally recruited talent that can be blended with employees who have specific marine skills.

Not ticking all the boxes

As is the case in many industries, employers in the marine sector are often guilty of only considering potential candidates who tick every box on a seemingly endless checklist of “required skills”. It’s important that, as an industry, we ‘look outside the box’ and consider candidates that don’t tick every box.

Articulating your flexibility in skills required for a position will also have the knock-on effect of preventing potential job seekers feeling discouraged from applying for positions believing they’re underqualified despite possessing transferable skills.

Concentrating on the skills that are lacking, rather than considering how to upskill an otherwise perfect candidate can mean the talent that is available is neglected.

Person in a hard hat and safety vest holds a tablet, standing with legs slightly apart.

Illustration of a sailboat within the marine industry, showcasing two people; one climbs the mast while the other attends to tasks on deck.

On the job training

To reverse the lack of apparent skills, some employers are instigating continuous professional development and upskilling their employees to bridge any perceived skills gaps. Others are recruiting apprentices who undergo a combination of on-the-job training and off-site qualifications.

As reported in the British Marine Industry Priorities report, it states that there has been a 23% increase in apprenticeship starts in 2022-23, with apprenticeships seen as a viable solution to bridge the skills gap.

Apprentices can contribute to the workforce almost immediately, with larger organisations often pairing apprentices with qualified mentors in their chosen trades, ensuring practical training is complemented by formal instruction.

Broadening the existing Apprenticeship Levy to enable more flexible skills training can only be a good thing, increasing the flexibility that employers have to fund training through routes other than apprenticeships.

This route forward to fund on the job training will certainly help to address a recent Department For Education’s Employer Skills Survey, which found that the number of employers funding or arranging training for their staff had declined from 66% in 2017 to 60% in 2022 with the average investment in training per employee had also fallen to £1,780, compared to £2,010 in 2017 (accounting for inflation).

It’s also important to consider more general training in computers, not just specialised training. When it comes to digital and technology skills, Oxford College states that more than half of workers say their employer has never given them any sort of training to help close the skills gap, with almost all marine businesses stating that having a basic level of digital skills is important for their employees.

Salary

The challenge of salaries in the marine industry is regularly highlighted with a survey conducted in 2022 by Marine Resources finding that the marine industry is typically behind other industries in equivalent roles by between 5 – 9 per cent.

Traditionally people worked in the marine industry purely for the love of boating and accepted lower salaries because of this. But a decline in boat ownership and a decrease in people combining their hobby with their career together with the re-opening of the economy following the end of Covid restrictions has led to a rise in the number of job vacancies.

This, coupled with the unemployment rate falling has led to wage inflation and increases in salaries and now recruiters are suggesting to remain competitive in the marine industry and attract the best staff, employers have needed to pay more money to their staff – if they can afford it.

If salary increases are not possible, marine companies can help themselves by being an attractive company to work for, providing options such as flexitime, extra holiday, staff social events or even an opportunity to get afloat and go boating. Knowing that a role comes with future career progression can also attract talented workers, especially if the employer has tried and tested work place training procedures in place, making a job a genuine career rather than just a stop gap.

Illustration of a yacht with white and orange sails, docked at a pier. The deck is equipped with hatches and a steering wheel.

Illustration of a person standing beside an orange van labeled

Contract staff

With a growing gig economy, skilled professionals are increasingly turning to freelance work and employers are turning to the contract or freelance sector to fill the skills gap.

Benefits to marine businesses include the ability to set a contract length to fit the project and the capability of filling the role quicker than it would take to upskill an existing staff member. Taking on a contractor also provides an opportunity for both the employer and employee to try the role on a temporary basis with the option of then taking the role on a permanent basis.

Taking on a contractor will also take away recruitment risks, HR and tax issues and can be cost effective for an employer, meaning they don’t need to take into consideration employment benefits such as pension schemes or holiday leave.

Addressing the skills gap in the marine industry requires a proactive and flexible approach from both employers and the industry as a whole. The challenges may be numerous, from an aging workforce to shifting skill sets and a competitive job market, but they are not insurmountable. By investing in training, apprenticeships, and creating upskilling opportunities, as well as embracing new recruitment strategies that challenge the status quo, the industry can attract fresh talent and ensure long-term growth.

Furthermore, focusing on employee wellbeing, offering competitive benefits, and fostering a more inclusive work environment will help make the marine industry an attractive career choice for future generations. Closing the skills gap is not just about filling vacancies today—it’s about building a sustainable workforce for tomorrow.

Sources

We have pulled this article together through various sources, and share below additional feeds contributing to the article

2024 Salary Guide
Is the UK’s skills shortage a myth perpetuated by hidden agendas ? | LinkedIn
The Cost of the Skills Gap – How Employers Can Help | LinkedIn

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