Quantum Marine Stabilizers is supporting the industry’s future during this year’s Quantum Spin-A-Thon on Saturday, March 21 at its Fort Lauderdale headquarters. Funds raised during this year’s event will be directed towards initiatives that help address the shortages of skilled crafts people and crew training. This includes programs focused on promoting and educating audiences currently unaware of the career opportunities, apprenticeships, and training pathways for future yacht and marine professionals.
“The industry is suffering from a shortage of crewmembers and shipyard personnel for quite some time,” said Katie Ross, Quantum’s business development manager. “Many known industry leaders are starting to reach retirement age, and if we don’t acknowledge and address these issues, it will be too late.”
Quantum partnered with Captain Sandy’s Charities and other maritime training platforms to support the engagement and training mission of the Spin-A-Thon. Quantum also created a “State of the Maritime Industry” report highlighting key statistics that underscore the purpose and urgency behind the event.
- Number of retirement-eligible staff is projected to increase, from 24% in 2024 to 43% by calendar year 2029
- Significant portion of the workforce, particularly those in leadership roles, will be retiring within the next 10-15 years
- Industry market research notes that projects are taking 20-30% longer to complete compared with five years ago due to lack of qualified skilled labor
- 54-80% of shipbuilding companies report significant skills gaps
- 40% struggle to recruit skilled labor, pointing to core shortages in trades central to yacht shipyard operations
“The organizations that we partnered with for this event was based on a lot of research, ‘ChatGPT advice,’ and speaking with several marine industry people, in the U.S. and Europe,” Ross said. “As we build on our success and advance the mission, we will remain open to new partnerships and training platforms.”…