‘Opportunities to Work at Sea’ will be the theme for this year’s Seafarers Awareness Week from June 20-28, 2015, aiming to not only raise awareness of Britain’s dependence on seafarers but also to highlight the many career possibilities the maritime world offers young people.
The focus of the campaign will be the promotion of education, training and recruitment services that can lead to employment in the Royal Navy and Merchant Navy – including container and cargo ships, fuel tankers, cruise ships, ferries and workboats.
Coordinated by Seafarers UK, a charity that supports the maritime community, Seafarers Awareness Week will promote the vital role seafarers play in the UK and global economies – an industry employing 1.5 million seafarers worldwide, of which 71,310 are from the UK.
This year’s theme also complements two events announced by the International Maritime Organization (IMO); Day of the Seafarer (June 25) and World Maritime Day (September 24), which both focus on maritime education and working at sea. IMO Secretary-General Koji Sekimizu stated recently that maritime education and training were ‘essential for the long-term sustainability of the sector, both at sea and on shore’.
Seafarers Awareness Week will involve maritime industry associations, employers, training providers and recruitment organisations, combining many activities and media opportunities, raising the profile of seafaring and maritime jobs to a wide audience, in particular young people, parents and educators.
Nick Harvey, Campaigns Manager at Seafarers UK, said, ‘We are delighted to co-ordinate our theme alongside the IMO and look forward to another highly successful Seafarers Awareness Week. With so many opportunities, including in growth areas such as cruise ships, superyachts and renewable energy developments, it is paramount we ensure that the next generation views working at sea as a viable and exciting career option too.’