Marine Industry Youth Inclusion Strategy Resource

Marine Industry Youth Inclusion Strategy

Based on findings from the ICOMIA Congress Diversity Workshop with James Ward (Marine Resources)

This strategy outlines some of the steps needed to attract and retain young talent in the marine industry.

We recognised four main hurdles that discourage young people from choosing marine careers:

Low Visibility: Young people are not represented in industry marketing, imagery, or key leadership voices, making the sector feel inaccessible.
Lack of Awareness: There is a fundamental lack of understanding that the marine industry offers a viable career path to explore.
Slow Pace: The industry is often perceived as having slow organisational structures and offering limited or slow career advancement opportunities.
Environmental Concerns: The sector is sometimes perceived as not being environmentally friendly or sustainable. Demonstrating purpose is important

The strategy focuses on four pillars to drive youth inclusion and change this perception:

Action: Actively bring young professionals on to industry committees, working groups, and boards to ensure their perspectives shape decision-making.

Action: Launch national and global campaigns to raise the industry’s profile.
Action: Form a Global Young Professionals/Young Leaders Network to create peer-to-peer engagement and mentorship.

Action: Offer accessible entry points for lower-level roles.
Action: Aim to significantly increase and extend the pool of companies offering formal apprenticeships.

Action: Hand over social media accounts (such as TikTok, Instagram Reels, etc.) directly to young people to create content. This ensures communications are genuine, relevant, and engaging.

Committee Alignment: Combining the ICOMIA and IFBSO diversity committees – completed.
Institutional Buy-In: Leadership must demonstrate that we are truly committed to these changes—not just talking about them, but walking the walk.
Branding & Consistency: Create a clear, overarching communications mission to ensure brand recognition and consistency across all media (graphics, hashtags, key messages, imagery, etc.).
Youth-Led Interpretation: Establish a dedicated space where young people can share their experiences and requirements, enabling them to interpret the industry for their peers.
Targeted Outreach: Partner with young people to connect directly with schools, colleges, and clubs to convey a clear invitation to learn more about the sector.
Celebrate Success: Consistently share best practices and success stories, and hold in-person events where consistent messaging is reinforced.
Learn from Others: Identify entities that have successfully implemented youth inclusion strategies and seek their advice.

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