More than 4000 cadets attended the first of the 2024 Sailors’ Society Cadet Conferences: Wellbeing skills for future seafarers, breaking all previous records for these global events.
The cadets from maritime schools and institutions across the Indian subcontinent were joined by new-to-sea ratings for the virtual conference exploring the all-important subject of wellness and mental health in maritime.
As well as interactive sessions and practical advice, these Gen Z seafarers heard from key industry leaders and influencers including the Director General of Shipping in India, Mr Shri Shyam Jaganathan and Capt. Manoj Gandhi, Director, Seaspan Crew Management, who sponsored the event.
Sara Baade, CEO of Sailors’ Society, said: “These conferences are now in their fourth year and the attendance figures are a testament to just how important cadets see this aspect of their future life at sea.
“Each year we also gain a deeper insight into this future generation of seafarers.”
Polls taken during the event, which was also funded by the TK Foundation, gave a unique insight into the motivation of the participants who are the future of seafaring.
Sixty-eight per cent of the cadets and ratings said how seafarers are treated by their employer was the most crucial factor when choosing a shipping company, while 41 per cent cited time away from family and contract length as the main reasons why they would leave the industry.
Sara added: “Our data also reveals that only 33 per cent of those polled saw the industry as inclusive and over half the cadets who attended were concerned about their mental health. This means learning to manage your mental health at sea, learning how to address bullying and embrace diversity onboard are all vital skills these cadets and ratings need, and we can help them gain.”
The North-Asia Conference was the first of four virtual events, with a conference for Africa on September 19, for South East Asian cadets on October 5 and the UK and Europe on November 6.
You can register for the remaining conferences at sailors-society.org/cadet-conference24
The data gathered from the conferences will form part of the Society’s 2024/25 Cadet Report, which will give the wider industry fresh insight into the next generation of maritime touching on their views around key issues such as mental health, diversity, bullying and harassment and retention.
Sailors’ Society’s 2023/24 Report, sponsored by Norden and Orient’s Fond and based on the 2023 conference data, is available to download at sailors-society.org/cadetreport23.
