By Julie Gedeon
Ottawa – The Canadian Marine Careers Foundation welcomed more than 170 people involved in maritime industry’s recruitment, training, and job support to its third annual Imagine Marine conference at the Rogers Centre Ottawa this week.
“Our theme, Future-Proofing the Marine Workforce: Skills, Tech and Talent, reflects a commitment by all of us to prepare the marine sector for our country’s ambitious economic goals,” Julia Fields, CMCF’s Executive Director, said in welcoming all. “We have to dive into what’s uncomfortable, take risks, and collaborate – even with our competitors – to invest in strategies and programs of benefit to our whole sector in building the workforce and talent pool.”
Julia Fields related CMCF’s recent accomplishments in collaboration with its 60 partners. The Shoring Up Ontario Marine program’s initial year, for example, delivered 35 fully trained entrants into the seafaring workforce – 80% of whom identify as being from underrepresented communities. Additionally, 60 existing seafarers received training to advance their careers.
In British Columbia, CMCF collaborated on the B.C. Marine Force Strategy and is helping WorkBC to build marine career awareness and develop skills-training programs.
Employment and Social Development Canada updated its forecasts at the CMCF’s urging to show the marine industry as an in-demand sector experiencing labour shortages. Fields noted this necessity to have the marine sector prioritized by federal policies and programs.
Rising demands on same labour pool
Noel Baldwin, the Future Skills Centre’s Executive Director, emphasized the increasing multi-sector demands on the same labour pool. The Build Canada Strong plans for affordable housing, infrastructure that includes several expanded port facilities, and new marine and defence assets requires workers with many of the same skills.
Mr. Baldwin encouraged developing incentives to attract people from other sectors undergoing AI or tariff/trade changes. “The skills sought for a highly productive workforce are remarkably consistent: the human abilities to collaborate, communicate effectively, and manage relationships and workplaces with empathy.”
Owen Brine, Kongsberg Maritime’s sales director in Canada, related the $76 million his company is investing to upgrade all the BCIT’s marine campus simulators, along with R&D on improved workforce development for seafarers, and their adaptation of emission-reducing technologies.
Vacancy rate of 13% on West Coast
Captain Alex Rueben, CEO of the Association of British Columbia Defence and Maritime Industries noted that B.C., home to 49% of Canada’s seafarers, already has a 13% vacancy rate ahead of huge projects expected to dramatically increase West Coast marine traffic. “Our challenge is getting people to understand that we have great career opportunities,” he said, adding that collective efforts with the CMCF and the Western Marine Community Coalition are making progress.
Capt. Rueben stressed the need to make underrepresented workers feel welcomed. “There’s still a lot of work to be done in the industrial workplace culture or we won’t succeed.”
Greater Indigenous workforce needed in the Arctic region
John Vanderberg, the Arctic Marine Training Group’s Executive Director, emphasized the importance of establishing permanent training facilities in the North. “We have a small constituency – 130,000 – but the goal is to get an Indigenous workforce not only involved but taking the lead in the projects expected by 2035.”
Kim Dixon, COVE’s Director of Learning & Workforce Transformation, said the launched construction of 15 river-class destroyers at the Halifax Shipyard calls for extensive labour. “We’re looking at veterans, newcomers, women, youth, and Indigenous peoples,” she said. “Often 70-to-80% of the job skills from defence, aerospace or heavy manufacturing are transferable, and people just need a short amount of specific training for new roles.”
Jan Van Der Hoop, President/co-founder of FitFirst Technologies, warned how AI screening of résumés may cause a greater disconnect between what looks good on paper and the actual characteristics and skills that someone has to do a job well. He gave the example of the Support Ontario Youth organization created to address a shortage of apprentices. “Six years later, there’s more than 600 apprentices, and 24% are from populations that have been undervalued or faced barriers in the skills trades,” he shared. “When you’re screening for aptitude instead of pedigree, you see a whole other world of people.”
Reciprocal standard agreements with 12 countries
Joanna Manger, Transport Canada’s director general of Marine Safety & Security, cited the reciprocal agreements that Canada has signed with 12 countries to recognize Standards of Training, Certification and Watching (STCW) for Seafarers as one of the more immediate measures to address labour shortages. “To date, Transport Canada has issued 869 endorsements to enable qualified seafarers to work aboard Canadian vessels.”
Efforts to expand the domestic workforce include $58 million since 2016 to provide marine training to more Indigenous peoples, Northerners, and women. “I am happy to report that more than 1,700 have completed the program,” Ms. Manger shared. She also noted the need to prepare the marine workforce for technological innovations while maintaining a traditional seafaring foundation in case of system failures.
Kylie Johnstone, a regulated Canadian immigration consultant with PF Collins International Trade Solutions, related Canada’s immigration levels, which will see 230,000 new temporary worker arrivals in 2026, a 37% decrease from the previous year. New student arrivals have been cut by 49% to 155,000. The new permanent residents are numbered at 380,000, just 4% lower. However, the next two years will see fewer arrivals overall again.
Going overseas to recruit candidates
Frédéric Demers, Chantier Naval Forillon’s Human Resources Manager, has gone overseas to personally recruit candidates by selling them and their families on life in the Gaspé. The company’s smaller workforce limits upward mobility but offers horizontal opportunities. “So, for example, our best painters only have two months of work annually, so they’ll do electrical the other 10,” he explains. However, he says that his past foreign recruitment efforts aren’t feasible with the government’s immigration cutbacks.
Darrell Pinto, Jumpstart Refugee Talent’s director of employment, says Canadians overall could do better at making immigrants feel welcomed. “I’m often told Canadians initially seem very friendly, but then they never invite you over for dinner.”
(Photo by Jeffrey Marine Photography)