Sailor shortage as young won’t go to sea without Facebook access

BRITAIN faces a “huge shortfall” of sailors partly as a result of young people’s reluctance to do without social media while at sea, employers in the maritime industry have warned.

They said that young adults used to being plugged into social media and having constant access to smartphones would rather sit in offices or work in shops than leave their comfort zone and brave the elements.

Most ships do not give offer crew access to the worldwide web. However, there is growing pressure for that to change.

The vast majority – 92pc – of maritime employers believe that providing internet access on ships is a crucial step in recruiting new staff, according to a survey by Future Nauotics, a data provider.

There is a global shortfall of about 16,500 officers in the maritime industry, while an additional 147,500 officers will be needed by 2025 to service the world merchant fleet.

A spokesman for the UK Chamber of Shipping, said: “Millennials coming through definitely have a certain expectation that they need to be connected to the internet, and employers are starting to recognise this.”

Another reason for the falling number of young sailors, according to Seafarers UK, a maritime charity, is the “ignorance” of careers advisers who are failing to direct pupils towards potentially lucrative careers in the maritime industry. Just one in 50 young people is given any information about maritime jobs at schools and colleges, the charity said, because most teachers were generally not aware of the industry.

Commodore Barry Bryant, director general at Seafarer UK, said: “Most people – and teachers – are ignorant about our industry because these days ports are private so you don’t see ships come and go.”

The UK maritime industry contributes £11 billion a year to the British economy and supports more than 113,000 jobs.

Tom Crichton, the associate head of the School of Marine Science and Engineering at Plymouth University, said: “There is generally – and has been for a number of years – a lack of awareness in schools and with careers people of the opportunities for work at sea.

“It’s an ageing demographic and you are going to have a generation which will retire.

“The average age of seafarers is 41. That is a problem for the future which needs to be addressed.”

Around 70,000 people in the UK currently work at sea, including in the Royal Navy, Merchant Navy and fishing fleets.