Port Academy Liverpool to tackle UK shipping industry 5,000 staff shortfall

The UK’ s commercial shipping industry is flourishing - but could face a shortfall of 5,000 staff in coming years, a conference held at the new Port Academy Liverpool has heard.

Huge growth in the UK’s shipping and logistics sectors is forecast - especially in the Liverpool City Region - but the industry must better promote maritime careers and rise to the challenge of training thousands more recruits, the conference was told.

Speaking at the event Seavision director Ewen Macdonald, whose campaign promotes the maritime industry to young people, emphasised the urgent need to positively promote maritime careers.

He said the 5,000 staffing shortage relates specifically to deck and engineering officers and is taken from the Transport Select Committee Report “Forging ahead?: UK shipping strategy” published in March this year.

Port Academy Liverpool project lead Shulah Jones said the new academy, located within Bootle’s Hugh Baird College, was recently launched to specifically address the maritime sector skills shortage.

She said it will also help train the next generation of skilled workers to support the Liverpool City Region’s new £1.8 billion Super Port development – a project designed to expand the freight and passenger capacity of the River Mersey.

Ewen Macdonald said: “By 2020, the UK could be 5,000 seafarers short and this relates specifically deck and engineering officers. Government has introduced initiatives to address the skills shortage by way of the Tonnage Tax training requirement and SMarT (Support for Maritime Training Scheme) grants, together with promoting sea-going apprenticeships.

“However, the maritime industry still faces a significant challenge to attract the talent we need.”

More than one hundred delegates turned up to the day-long “Shipping and Maritime Industries” conference in the college’s L20 Building. The event formed part of the International Festival for Business 2014 Maritime, Logistics and Energy fortnight.

It was co- organised by the Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA) UK and saw presentations from the Engineering Development Trust (EDT), Seavision and Seafarers UK.

According to Seavision figures the maritime sector employs more than 530,000 people directly and indirectly, contributing more than £26.5 billion each year to the UK economy.

Shulah Jones said the conference provided a terrific opportunity to welcome shipping-related professions from across the UK and abroad to the new Port Academy Liverpool, to drive greater awareness of the new training facility.

She said: “The event provided a platform to discuss the SuperPort plans and big infrastructure investments, such as the Mersey Gateway bridge and Wirral Waters development,”

“It further provided a key opportunity to promote the Liverpool City Region as a world-class centre for shipping and maritime.

“However, a recurring theme throughout the day was the skills shortage which industry is facing. There are glittering opportunities in the maritime sector due to heavy investment, on Merseyside in particular. But the industry will require thousands more skilled people to bring the projects to fruition and ensure longevity and success.

“The Port Academy Liverpool has been designed to help tackle this very issue. It will deliver high-level sector specific training which the industry demands, from foundation degrees to professional accreditations.

“Critically, it has been developed with support from regional and national maritime organisations along with local employers who have a vested interest in ensuring the port’s success.

“Port Academy Liverpool is working with a number of partners to deliver the educational package including the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers, Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport and the Institute of Export. We believe it will play a key role in boosting the skills of Merseyside youngsters and attracting international talent.

“We feel passionately about uniting the regional maritime sector and rising to the challenge posed by the national staffing shortfall.”