Better Future For Canadian Marine Industry
1. Key Stakeholders and Their Challenges:
Ship Owners:
Challenge: Lack authority over international mariners and are reluctant to invest in the Canadian Transport Canada (TC) Endorsement process due to mistrust and cost concerns.
Impact: Leads to minimal support for certifying or retaining international mariners, exacerbating labor shortages.
Shipping Organizations:
Challenge: Misunderstand the labor shortage, assuming it’s resolved through the TC Endorsement, and lack awareness of actual recruitment challenges.
Impact: Results in a disconnect between organizations and the labor market, further delaying effective solutions.
Transport Canada (TC):
Challenge: Established an endorsement system lacking flexibility and credibility assessment for mariners, focusing mainly on document verification.
Impact: Limits the pool of qualified mariners and excludes experienced seafarers who don’t fit the rigid criteria.
Canadian NGOs (e.g., Imagine Marine):
Challenge: Government-funded, can only assist permanent residents (PR), leaving immigrant mariners out.
Impact: Reduces support for a significant segment of the maritime workforce that isn’t yet PR but could fill labor gaps.
Over Horizon Inc. and Marine Transport Companies:
Challenge: Completed an audit for process improvements but lack funding, as there’s little financial support for organizations serving non-PR mariners.
Impact: Prevents necessary changes and undermines company confidence in sustainable labor solutions.
2. Identified Needs and Actions Required:
Define Workforce Needs and Screening:
Objective: Assess whether Canada needs more mariners urgently and ensure screening of current mariners to retain valuable talent.
Outcome: Avoid losses of skilled mariners (e.g., Filipino seafarers) due to lack of opportunities or bureaucratic delays.
Provide Education and Coaching:
Objective: Offer coaching and education to promising mariners to prepare them as trainers for the future workforce.
Outcome: Build a skilled, resilient maritime workforce that can sustain and grow Canada’s labor pool over time.
Educational Access for Mariners’ Families:
Objective: Enable children of international mariners to enroll in local universities.
Outcome: Incentivize mariners’ long-term stay in Canada by supporting their families’ educational needs.
Attract and Utilize International Teachers:
Objective: Recruit international teachers, including immigrants, to support Canada’s educational sector.
Outcome: Enhance education quality and align workforce development with upcoming labor needs.
3. Why This Matters (The Urgency):
Growing Demand for Mariners:
Statistic: By 2031, Canada will need 19,000 additional seafarers, according to Statistics Canada (2021).
Risk: Delays in addressing the shortage could hinder marine operations, affect supply chain and economic growth.
Time-Limited Certifications:
Issue: Processes established by TC are time-sensitive, and certification expirations have already impacted skilled mariners (e.g., from the Philippines).
Consequence: Delays lead to missed opportunities for integration of skilled labor into Canada’s maritime industry.
Upcoming LNG Projects in BC (2025):
Demand: Requires not only mariners but skilled individuals with specific education and experience.
Gap: Current local talent, especially on the BC coast, lacks the necessary qualifications, creating an urgent need for skilled labor.
Conclusion and Call to Action:
There is an immediate need to align policies, funding, and resources to support the integration and retention of international mariners. By focusing on strategic support—through flexible certification processes, educational access for families, and targeted recruitment efforts—Canada can address its impending seafaring labor shortages effectively and proactively support its marine and LNG industries.