UK launches People Route Map for long-term maritime strategy

The Department for Transport has released its People Route Map, designed to ensure that skills and training recommendations made in the long-term Maritime 2050 strategy document are delivered.

The route map has been designed as a 'live document' to be updated every five-years. A Maritime Skills Commission (MSC), first announced in January, will be tasked with its implementation and will oversee the existing Careers Promotion Forum (CPF) that ensures regulatory adherence, co-ordination and promotion of the maritime sector. On Monday, the DfT announced additional £550,000 funding for this financial year will be shared between these bodies to go towards set up and implementation costs.

A Department for Transport (DfT) and a Maritime and Coastguard (MCA) official will represent government on the commission and the forum.

The MSC will report to the Maritime Minister and Maritime UK on an annual basis providing an update on progress.

Under the newly published route map, the CPF will have an expanded role in careers promotion and will work closely with Maritime UK regional clusters on rolling out career events. Each regional cluster will also develop a local engagement plan for schools, colleges and youth groups.

The MSC has been tasked with putting forward a proposal on its structure, membership, operation and communication to the Maritime Minister and the Maritime UK National Council by the end of December 2019.

The Maritime Skills Alliance (MSA), which convenes Maritime UK's People and Skills Forum, welcomed the next steps guidance for the Maritime Skills Commission. MSA will be part of the small group charged with shaping the Commission, according to an MSA press release. 'We are very much looking forward to it, and confident that the Commission will be able to do much more than is currently possible,' MSA chairman Bill Walworth said.