MARITIME SCHOOLS' CONFERENCES 2023

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Maritime Schools' Conferences 2023

Positive wellbeing for a rewarding seafaring career

We know that cadets are tomorrow’s workforce and future industry leaders, so these unique events are a must for any maritime student, giving them the tools and knowledge to help manage their wellbeing as they prepare for a career at sea.

In 2023 over 4,000 cadets took part in four virtual events for schools in North Asia, South East Asia, Africa and, for the first time, in the UK.

The conferences help to equip cadets for their future careers, with top industry experts from across the globe giving them an insight into the realities of life at sea and Sailors’ Society giving them the tools they need to look after their own mental and physical health.

But these events also give a voice to these young people, allowing them to speak to the industry they are about to join.

What the conferences revealed

Across the continents, cadets unanimously agree on the importance of wellness and mental health in the context of being a seafarer but feel more could be done while they are in training to prepare them for the challenges they will face at sea.

The overwhelming majority of the 2023 conference cadets – up to 91 per cent – placed the treatment of seafarers as their utmost priority when choosing their future employer. And the primary motivation for cadets leaving the maritime industry would be their treatment.

The conferences also gave an insight into the hopes and fears of these Gen Z maritime students with the biggest fear for the majority of the world’s cadets being not getting a job after training. However, in the UK, cadets said their biggest fear was not being able to cope at sea.

Cadets also revealed that more than 76% of participants had never been to sea and were either hoping to join a vessel once they had finished their studies or finished training awaiting an employment opportunity