A majority of seafarers are content with life at sea, according to preliminary results of a new survey being carried out as part of the BIMCO/ICS Manpower Report 2015.
The survey of seafarers is the first of the targeted surveys for this year’s report. More than 500 seafarers have already responded to the survey, representing over 40 nationalities.
Some of the other preliminary findings include:
One of the trends that resonated in the responses was the importance and value of the training and skills that come with being a maritime professional: “Life at sea is exciting, challenging and very educational. The skills that anyone can receive from this job cannot be compared to anything else ashore,” said one of the respondents.
The survey also points towards the impact that increased regulation of the industry has had on the seafaring profession. One seafarer responded: “This is a great career, but an increasingly technical and administrative one so it is no longer as much an adventure as simply a job, albeit one with the possibility of adventure!”
Natalie Shaw, Director of Employment Affairs at ICS, said: ”We have just launched a second of the new series of surveys, targeting lecturers at maritime education and training institutions. We look forward to gathering information and views from those at the forefront of maritime training which will be used to enrich the 2015 Manpower Report.”