Labour
WHAT DO YOUNG CANADIANS THINK ABOUT MARINE?
New report reveals biggest barriers to recruiting next generation workforce BY JULIA FIELDS
A
ccording to StatsCan, there are more than 2 million young Canadians between the ages of 15-19. Many of these teens will be at that critical stage of contemplating their future dream job and mapping out how to get there. But despite the many benefits on offer – great salaries, interesting and varied work, technology-driven – a career in the Canadian marine sector will be an unknown quantity for most of them. A new survey of Canadian youth confirms that the biggest barrier to recruit new candidates is lack of knowledge of
the diversity of jobs available in the marine sector — with (67%) of those in the millennial and Gen Z generations believing the industry is hard to get into and 60% saying they can only think of a few types of jobs. The National Youth Report: Marine and the Next Generation, which was commissioned by the Canadian Marine Industry Foundation (CMIF) and conducted by Abacus Data, reinforces the need for the public and private sector to accelerate awareness efforts in the face of a looming labour and skills crisis.
YOUTH PERCEPTIONS OF MARINE SECTOR
“Awareness, as this report shows, is our biggest challenge as well as our biggest opportunity,” says Thomas Aulinger, Chair of the CMIF and Director for the Centre for Marine Training and Research at Georgian College. “The results in this report will help us communicate better, grow awareness, and be better able to provide information and resources to young Canadians through the CMIF’s Imagine Marine campaign.” Established in 2020, the CMIF was founded by the Chamber of Marine Commerce, the Canadian Coast Guard, Transport Canada and the Transportation Safety Board to promote marine careers. The foundation has expanded its membership since then to include private companies, unions and educational institutions — all with the aim to nationally amplify stakeholder messaging, create campaigns to grow awareness and provide information and resources. Bruce Burrows, President and CEO of the Chamber of Marine Commerce, which sponsored the report, explains, “Companies, educational institutions and unions have mounted ad campaigns but their individual efforts have been insufficient to drive enough candidates into the workforce. Labour shortages are a critical problem for many of our members.”
Canada’s marine sector facing critical shortages Strongly/ Somewhat Agree
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A strong, and sustainable marine sector is crucial for a strong economy in Canada.
Strongly agree
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The marine sector in Canada is focussed on environmental sustainability and corporate responsibility to protect our ecosystems, oceans and waterways.
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Canada’s marine sector includes over 1,000 employers – both in the private and public sectors — and employs more than 100,000 skilled workers and professionals across Canada. According to Transport Canada estimates, there were more than 1,200 job vacancies in 2020 onboard commercial vessels and ferries, and many of these were in the most critical areas to keep ships operating such as deck officers and engineers. In recent years, says Burrows, shortages like these have led to Canadian vessels being pulled out of service for periods of time, resulting 17
