A MARITIME Skills Workshop has expressed concerns at the ageing workforce and sought solutions to a critical shortage of maritime skills.

Around 60 representatives of companies utilising Australia’s maritime workforce met at the offices of INPEX in Perth to participate in the second Maritime Skills Crisis Workshop on Monday to progress industry discussion on causes, impacts and possible solutions to the critical shortage of maritime skills.

The workshop followed the initial event held in 2023 and was an initiative of five organisations: MIAL, and AREEA in collaboration with the three maritime unions, AMOU, AIMPE and the MUA.

Among the issues raised was an urgent need for better data to describe the current and forecast industry need for maritime skills.

It was noted that AMSA seafarer certification statistics showed there are more people over 65 holding STCW Marine Engineer CoCs than there are people under 30, pointing to a significantly ageing workforce.

Several issues were thrashed out and possible ways forward were identified including opportunities to leverage existing state and commonwealth funding sources through state and commonwealth education and training mechanisms (i.e. apprenticeships) and direct these to maritime.

There was a need for centralised coordination of RTO placement and sea time across the industry.

Industry partner and government stakeholders must find opportunities to strip cost out of the maritime training system and any industry solution must not add cost to an existing high-cost environment.

The workshop also suggested many industry participants are making significant contributions to Australian maritime skills development through a range of mechanisms and any industry solution must support this ongoing activity and not penalise those companies.

Delegates believe there are opportunities to improve efficiencies in maritime training through the appropriate use of simulation.

Better promotion of learning and development pathways was required from Domestic Commercial Vessel qualifications to international Standards of Training Certification and Watchkeeping which the group believe is likely to benefit attraction to the workforce for both sectors.

In addressing the workforce shortage, industry must look at training delivery and how to provide flexible learning opportunities to maximise attraction to a broader cohort of the population – through things like diversity and inclusion objectives.