Employers in the maritime industry deal with many challenges that make maintaining a steady and stable workforce problematic. Like many employers, when the need for talent arises, those in the maritime industry seek reliable talent with a highly specialized skill set and cannot always find them.
Common Problems in the Marine Industry
A Maritime Market Analysis compiled by Indeed and NSC has identified some of the key elements in why maritime employers find it challenging to fill open positions. And worse, unfilled positions or low-quality talent add to the myriad challenges for maritime companies.
The top marine industry challenges identified in the report are:
- Lack of training available to gain skills for specialized work
- Production mistakes due to a lower quality workforce
- Unnecessary costs of rework
- Safety hazards and accidents from an inadequately trained workforce
- Difficulty finding a workforce with specific skill sets at remote worksites
- A national shortage of skilled tradespeople
Key Factors that Pinpoint How Quickly You’ll Fill Open Maritime Positions
With the challenges outlined above, it’s no wonder marine employers struggle to find reliable, skilled workers. There are, however, several things to help:
- Understand the time of year when there are more job seekers. Slight fluctuations in seasonality can significantly impact whether or not talent might be attracted (and available) to join your organization. Add in COVID-19 and different federal and state mandates, and timing is critical to understanding when job seekers may bite on joining your company.
- Invest in upskilling the local community. By nature, marine employers are beholden to the area in which there are waterways and water access. Therefore, local talent is not only attractive, but a must-have. By investing in upskilling your local community, you can directly impact the flow of talent to your organization. Providing on-the-job training or working with a staffing agency to source talent is also a great way to fill vacancies.
- Identify the specialized talent you need—and when you need it. Pipefitters, welders, firewatchers, and other marine-specific talent are hot commodities and can be difficult to source and scale when production calls for it. Therefore, partnering with a team that can locate and supplement your current workforce is critical to supporting your business.
Charting a Smooth Course with a Staffing Partnership
With NSC at the helm of marine staffing expertise, our recruiters can provide perspective about ways maritime companies can combat these challenges. With decades of experience in this industry, the NSC team has a unique perspective on developing and training talent to meet the specific needs of marine employers.
Together, NSC and partnering companies are helping to solve the most persistent problems that many maritime employers experience: a lack of talented workers. To learn more, read the full report and contact NSC.
