Before COVID-19, the occupation of seafarer was already experiencing a need to new workers premised on the an aging workforce. With the advent of COVID-19 and the inability to effectively, efficiently transfer crews, with the exception of a very few nations seafarers were treated as a pariah, potentially turning off a new generaton there was a growing neeed for seafarers globally
On October 21, NYK, the Chubu Maritime Public Relations Association, and the Chubu Transportation Bureau of Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism sponsored a general overview of the shipping industry for 117 sixth grade students at Nagoya Municipal Kanare Elementary School.
A Captain and a young maritime officer, both from NYK, gave lectures on the shipping industry and the jobs of oceangoing seafarers. During the lectures, they explained about marine transportation, the work of maritime officers and engineers, and life on board. The NYK seafarers also used photographs to provide a virtual tour of a ship. One student commented, "I want to join oceangoing vessels in the future" and another student said, "The life on board seems hard, but it looks fun."
In recent years, despite increasing demand for seafarers in the world's ocean shipping industry, Japan’s younger generation hasn’t had much awareness of the jobs of seafarers. In fact, the country currently has only 2,200 active oceangoing seafarers.
In response, NYK implemented the NYK Mirai Project a number of years ago to help the younger generation gain a closer affinity to ships and possibly consider a seafaring life as a potential future career option. Cooperation with junior high schools is part of this initiative.