The boating industry is facing a workforce crisis. Not enough qualified people are applying or remaining in positions. Here are some of the reasons contributing to this problem in the boating industry workforce.

Untrained 

Maritime companies are receiving applications from people who are untrained and unqualified for the work they are seeking. Working on a boat requires knowledge of boating language to communicate effectively and easily. It also requires familiarity with handling rope, winches, knots and other equipment. It is difficult to say how best to address the issue of untrained applicants, but it may help to create training programs within the company to grow the skills of new hires.

Underpaid

Another issue hindering the maritime workforce is the fact that workers are often underpaid. Working on a boat is hard physical work requiring a variety of skills and exposes a person to severe cold and rain. For these reasons, the work should be well-compensated. Unfortunately, it is often not, which leads to a vacuum where qualified applicants should be.

Unaware

People are generally unaware of the types of jobs available within the maritime field. People do not typically understand the variety of work and the levels of hierarchy within the work, and therefore do not consider the field at all for their careers. 

These are just a few reasons why the boating industry is having a difficult time finding and keeping quality workers.