Skills Strategy Survey

Maritime UK’s People and Skills Working Group has endorsed the following principles (4 ‘A’s) to underpin our approach in preparing a Skills Strategy for the sector:

• Authoritative:  we should say how things really are, and nail myths (eg that schoolchildren are not interested in careers at sea; we know they are). 
  
• Add value: and be careful neither to duplicate, nor get in the way of, what others are already doing (eg the joint campaign for SMarT Plus in the shipping industry).
  
• Address problems: not just describe a problem or opportunity, but do something about it.
  
• Focus on Action: no fat reports; no huge steering group (but open communication).
  

This survey is a first step to ensuring that what we say is authoritative. In some parts of the maritime sector there are repeated messages about ‘shortages’ but remarkably little analysis of exactly what the problem is, or the impact, much less what businesses are doing as a result.

• Are they importing skilled people when they could be training instead?  
• Are they foregoing commercial opportunities?  
• Are they taking longer to fulfil orders and thereby damaging their reputation?  
• Do they need to offer better terms and conditions to attract the right people?  
• Or are they using someone who may be less skilled than their predecessor, but who is competent nonetheless, with no negative implications, in fact, for the business?  

We would be grateful if you would complete the survey in that spirit.  

We will collate responses and be careful not to share anything which anyone wants kept private, but in the nature of the exercise we do want a Skills Strategy which Maritime UK can publish, which will then make a difference – so we'd urge you to be open.