There is not only a shortage of seafarers in Sweden—seafaring personnel are also staying at sea for increasingly shorter periods. How can this be changed? A new pre-study from Lighthouse marks the beginning of a longer research project aimed at securing the competence supply within the maritime industry.

It is exactly one year since the Swedish Transport Employers’ Association's report, "The Temperature of the Maritime Industry," was published and made a significant impact in the media. According to the report, Swedish maritime shipping needed to recruit 2,200 people within the next three years, otherwise, the entire Swedish economy risked being affected. The result aligned with the Lighthouse pre-study "Future Needs for Maritime Officers," which was released a few months earlier and highlighted a significant need for trained maritime officers and emphasized the necessity to substantially increase the application rate to these educational programs.

“One problem is that seafarers are spending increasingly shorter periods of their professional lives at sea. This means that the maritime industry has to recruit more frequently, leading to substantial costs for both society and shipping companies,” says Henriette Wallén Warner of VTI, who, together with Monica Lund from Chalmers, conducted the pre-study “Hur behåller vi svenskt sjöfolk i yrket till sjöss?” ( "How Can We Retain Swedish Seafarers in Their Profession at Sea?").

The pre-study can be described as the starting point of a three-year research project that begins in September. It sets the stage, so to speak, and provides an overview by identifying various factors that both facilitate and hinder a longer professional life at sea.

“From a Swedish perspective, people stay at sea because they enjoy their work tasks, colleagues, and working conditions. They simply enjoy their jobs. Those who leave do so for fairly predictable reasons, primarily isolation from family, excessive workload, and lack of career opportunities. Unfortunately, there are also instances of exclusion, bullying, and harassment, and for maritime students, poor experiences during internships.”

For the continued efforts to retain seafarers in the industry and ensure the renewal of personnel, the pre-study also presents a list of stakeholders. The list includes all authorities directly connected to the maritime sector, secondary schools, colleges, and universities offering maritime education, relevant trade unions, seafarers' clubs, as well as four shipping companies and various employer associations. The hope is that these will engage in the upcoming research project, which is funded by the Swedish Transport Administration.

“As part of the research project, we will, among other things, conduct several survey studies targeted at students in maritime education, those currently working at sea, and those who have chosen to leave the sea before retirement. To ensure the studies are conducted effectively, we hope to receive help from everyone interested in securing the competence supply within Swedish maritime shipping,” says Henriette Wallén Warner, adding: “In the research project, our focus will be much more on measures: What could convince those who are hesitant to stay? And is there anything that could entice those who have chosen to leave the sea to return?”