Blue Denmark in Need of New Competences
By Joseph R Fonseca
Friday, November 4, 2016
New technological developments and increasing competition from other countries may change future requirements for the education and competences demanded from Blue Denmark. This is shown in a new longitudinal study.
Today, the Danish Maritime Authority – in cooperation with the Danish Agency for Higher Education – publishes a longitudinal study on the availability of qualified labour in Blue Denmark. In general, the report, which is sponsored by the Danish Maritime Fund, points to the fact that the maritime training programmes are expected to be able to meet the needs of the maritime industries as they look at the moment.
Blue Denmark is faced with changes, including new technology, larger vessels, etc., which may change the need for education and competences in the future. However, the report does not provide any unambiguous answers to exactly which requirements will be made for education and competences in the future.
Minister for Business and Growth Troels Lund Poulsen said, ”The availability of qualified labour, including labour with maritime competences, is of importance to secure growth in Blue Denmark. Therefore, it is also important to see how developments have been and not least what we can expect from the future, also in the light of the industry's assessment of the challenges and opportunities of the sector. The new longitudinal study will form part of the blue growth team's considerations of what is needed to prepare the sector for the requirements of the future."
The report shows the development in the number of seafarers, their employment and the number of new maritime graduates and thereby follows up on previous analyses made by the Danish Maritime Authority and the Danish Agency for Higher Education.