Towards a sustainable mariner workforce: innovative training technologies

Foreword

At the 2026 Mariners for America Conference of MITAGS, industry leaders came together to address a critical question: how do we build and retain a sustainable maritime workforce?

One message became clear: retention is not primarily a recruitment issue. It is an experience issue. And training plays a central role in shaping that experience.

The question that frames the problem

At the start of her session, Talita Scarcela posed a simple question to the audience: what is the biggest challenge in training mariners today?

The responses reflected a pattern widely observed across the industry. Training is highly valued in principle. In practice, however, it often disrupts the very people it is meant to support.

This gap between intention and experience reveals a deeper issue. The challenge is not whether training is important, but how it is experienced by the workforce.

Where training creates friction

For many mariners, training does not fit naturally into the rhythm of their work and personal lives. It often requires travel during time off, disrupts rest cycles, and competes with personal commitments. Even when the training itself is relevant and well delivered, the surrounding experience can feel burdensome.

Over time, this creates an unintended association: training becomes linked to disruption rather than development. As that perception builds, engagement begins to decline. Followed, inevitably, by retention.

As highlighted during the session, “retention is not just about recruitment. It’s about experience, and training plays a big role in shaping that experience.”

Reframing the problem: from technology to impact

The industry’s response to training challenges has often focused on technology. However, technology alone does not improve outcomes. What drives impact is the relationship between how training is delivered and how it is experienced.

As presented at the conference, the sequence is clear: technology influences delivery, delivery shapes experience, and experience ultimately drives retention.

If delivery does not align with operational reality, even the most advanced tools fail to improve engagement. The real opportunity lies not in adopting new technologies, but in designing training that enhances the overall experience of the mariner.

What changes in practice

When training is designed around the operation rather than outside of it, the model begins to shift. Instead of requiring mariners to step away from their routine, training moves with them.

This shift is already visible through in-field delivery onboard or at client locations, remote decision-making training for emergency response scenarios, and the use of immersive environments such as virtual reality for high-risk situations. Flexible formats also allow learning to take place closer to home, reducing the impact on personal time.

As Scarcela noted during her presentation, “The standards do not change – the environment does.” The outcome remains the same: operational readiness.

What effective training looks like

Effective training, regardless of format, consistently shares a few key characteristics. It must be accessible, meaning it fits within the realities of maritime life and reduces unnecessary barriers without lowering standards. It must also be relevant, reflecting real operations so that mariners can directly apply what they learn in their working environment.

Equally important, training must be clearly connected to progression. Mariners need to understand how their development links to the next stage of their career. When these elements are in place, training is no longer perceived as an interruption. It becomes part of the job itself.

Building a progression model that holds

Strengthening workforce stability requires more than offering individual courses; it requires a structured and visible development journey. Organisations must move beyond certification frameworks and consider the full career pathway experience.

This includes aligning training delivery with different life stages, recognising that the needs of early-career mariners differ from those with established responsibilities. It also involves providing timely and contextual feedback, enabling individuals to connect performance with development in a meaningful way.

Most importantly, individual development must be clearly linked to operational needs. When mariners understand how their growth contributes to safety, performance, and the future of the organisation, engagement increases, and retention follows.

Workforce stability as an industry resilience strategy

Workforce retention is not only a people challenge. It is a resilience imperative. High levels of attrition reduce operational consistency, weaken knowledge retention, and limit an organisation’s ability to sustain performance over time. In an industry where safety and decision-making rely heavily on experience, this loss of continuity carries significant operational risk.

The maritime sector has already demonstrated its capacity to adapt under pressure. During the COVID-19 period, training delivery models shifted rapidly, yet standards were maintained. This reinforced a critical lesson: quality is not defined by location, but by design.

This perspective also aligns with broader national efforts to strengthen maritime workforce resilience and readiness, as reflected in recent U.S. policy initiatives. The direction is clear: building a capable and stable workforce is not only an organisational priority, but a strategic requirement for the industry as a whole.

Organisations that recognise this are moving beyond compliance-driven training models and towards more integrated approaches to development. By aligning training with operational realities and long-term workforce needs, they are not only improving engagement but strengthening their ability to respond to future challenges.

Final thoughts

The opportunity for the maritime industry is not to reinvent training, but to better connect what already exists.

When training is easier to access, aligned with real operations, and clearly linked to progression, it stops being a disruption and becomes part of the job itself.

That is where retention becomes sustainable, and where long-term workforce resilience is built.

References

1. International Maritime Organization (2011). STCW: Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, including the 2010 Manila Amendments. IMO Publishing.

2. Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies (2026). Mariners for America Conference 2026. Retrieved from https://www.mitags.org/mariners-for-america-conference/

3. Nautical Institute (2023). Digital and remote learning in maritime: A framework for quality assurance. The Nautical Institute.

4. OPITO (2024). Workforce development in offshore energy: Standards and competency frameworks. OPITO International.

5. United States Maritime Administration (2024). MITAGS designated Center of Excellence for Domestic Maritime Workforce Training and Education. Retrieved from https://www.mitags.org/marad-designates-mitags-2024-center-of-excellence/

6. The White House (2026, February 13). Maritime Action Plan: Sealift readiness, workforce development, and industrial base resilience. The White House.

7. Scarcela, T. (2026, March). Towards a sustainable mariner workforce: Innovative training technologies. Presentation delivered at the Mariners for America Conference 2026, MITAGS, Linthicum Heights, Maryland.