Julia Fields
Executive Director, Canadian Marine Careers Foundation
Canada’s marine sector is facing significant labour and skills shortages, affecting both ship and shore operations across the country. This shortage underscores the urgent need for a strategic, industry-wide approach to workforce development. Recognizing this, the Canadian Marine Careers Foundation (CMCF) will host its inaugural workforce development conference on October 2-3, 2024, in Ottawa. The Imagine Marine Conference, which is hosted in partnership with Master Mariners of Canada, aims to bring industry stakeholders and external experts together to tackle the attraction, training and retention challenges that are affecting the industry.
The conference is aimed at and features top speakers from all aspects of the marine sector, including vessel operators, ports and terminals, shipyards, marine service providers and government employers, labour organizations, training institutions and HR service suppliers.
“The CMCF has been tasked by the marine sector to develop solutions to help ensure our industry has a diverse, inclusive, and future-ready workforce,” says Julia Fields, Executive Director of the Canadian Marine Careers Foundation. “This conference is about sharing best practices and showcasing solutions from external experts, from other industries, from other parts of the world and from within Canada. Our speakers will be presenting new research, projects, programs and workshops that our attendees can really learn from and actively participate in.”
Public and private sector stakeholders from across the country have sponsored the event and will be sending representatives to participate and attend, demonstrating a collective dedication to finding solutions to the industry’s shared obstacles.
The theme for this year’s conference, “Resolving the Talent Crisis: Strategies to Elevate Marine’s Recruitment and Retention Game,” sets the stage for a collaborative and solution-oriented event that provides insights into how the marine sector can raise awareness of marine careers, create new pathways into the industry, improve training opportunities, better recruit from under-represented groups and improve the retention of our existing workforce. Marine stakeholders from across the country will have the opportunity to share ideas, network and forge relationships.
A significant highlight of the Imagine Marine Conference will be the involvement of experts from outside the industry, bringing fresh perspectives and valuable insights. The opening keynote address by Angela Splinter, CEO of Trucking HR Canada, will provide a solid foundation for the discussions to follow. Splinter’s experience in successfully tackling labour and skills shortages in the trucking industry offers valuable lessons for our sector, particularly in increasing workforce diversity and attracting new workers.
The opening panel, “Leadership in Action: Confronting Marine Skills Shortages for a Sustainable Future,” features Canada’s top leaders from across the sector – for example the Coast Guard Commissioner Mario Pelletier, Algoma Central Corporation CEO Gregg Ruhl, and Stéphanie Aubourg, Chief Human Resources Officer at The CSL Group will set the scene to discuss how current labour shortages and the upcoming wave of retirements impacts their organizations and the broader Canadian economy. This panel will explore the real-world costs of these shortages and the barriers impeding progress.
An important area of focus of the conference includes the attraction, retention and advancement of talent from underrepresented groups. Sessions such as “Moving the Needle on Advancing Gender Diversity at Sea and On Shore” will explore international and Canadian strategies to increase the representation and advancement of women and gender-diverse individuals in the marine industry.
Additionally, “Level Up: Next Steps in Building a Vibrant Indigenous Marine Workforce” will introduce new programs for training and transitioning Indigenous workers into the marine sector, featuring speakers from Clear Seas and Workforce Warriors. Practical workshops led by external experts will be another key component of the event. Natasha Jeshani, CEO of Career Contacts, will lead a workshop on inclusive recruitment, covering best practices for creating inclusive job descriptions, conducting bias-free interviews, and implementing effective onboarding processes.
As we look ahead towards a changing world, the marine industry can and must adapt to prepare for future challenges. “Increasing Seafarer Training Capacity and Accessibility” will delve into the obstacles and solutions for training Canadian mariners, including how can we increase the availability of sea time for new cadets and increase the use of virtual training.
“The Future Marine Worker” will examine the evolving skills and training required by shoreside and vessel operators and marine workers as the sector incorporates AI, machine learning, autonomous, and decarbonization technologies. This session will explore how to meet workforce expectations and integrate sustainability into future marine employment strategies.
Additionally, “Creating New Pathways into the Marine Sector” will highlight successful programs and new opportunities for second career seekers and new entrants, while “Workplace Wellness” will focus on best practices and initiatives for improving psychological safety, physical health, and mental health support in the marine work environment.
“Canada’s population is aging and large segments of the population are heading for retirement. All industries are facing talent shortages and investing heavily in workforce development. The marine sector must elevate its recruitment, training and retention strategies – if we are to remain relevant and competitive in the race for talent,” says Fields.
For more information on the full line-up of speakers and to register for the Imagine Marine Conference, visit Imagine Marine Conference.
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