Life After Yachting has launched the first month-long virtual event to help superyacht crew around the world find employment when they are ready to move from onboard to onshore.

The virtual experience consists of a global online portal for crew to connect with land-based superyacht businesses as well as other business from within the luxury sector who actively want to employ yacht crew, and value the aptitude and experience they can bring to their company.

The Life After Yachting team describes it as a ‘business incubator’ for entrepreneurial crew, supported by the ‘Kraken’s Den’ of industry leaders, talks with internationally acclaimed schools to facilitate the recognition of superyacht qualifications and a virtual live interactive one-day event.

Created to support crew through what is often a difficult transition from a busy career at sea to finding stable and fulfilling land-based work, Life After Yachting is led by Titta Uoti-Väisänen, founder of TUVYC.

Titta has worked on board some of the world’s largest superyachts for a variety of influential owners, and having transitioned from onboard to onshore herself, Titta experienced first-hand the disappointment when her hard-earned yachting qualifications meant very little in the world outside of yachting. This motivated her to launch Life After Yachting and also to facilitate talks between prestigious internationally recognised schools and universities and superyacht specific training providers, such as G.U.E.S.T.

Meanwhile, for the shore-based professionals within the superyacht industry, Life After Yachting gives them the chance to give back to the crew that have supported them over the years.

Throughout the month of September, captains, crew and businesses can research and qualify each other via this newly developed virtual superyacht jobs fair. From crew looking for onshore work to companies looking to hire individuals with experience in the industry from around the world, this platform presents the skills and experiences obtained and required. By optimising connections, it enables both crew and companies to secure virtual meetings and online interviews.

The second element of Life After Yachting was launched to support entrepreneurial crew. Night watches and downtime at sea can give crew the time to think up fantastic business ideas, but shaping those ideas into a successful long-term business is a complex task.

On this basis, Life After Yachting connects crew with a team of experts who can help to develop those ideas and assist in creating and actioning the perfect business plan and pitch.

During the virtual live event crew will have the opportunity to present their pitch to the ‘Kraken’s Den’ of business advisors, all of whom are proven and successful leaders in yachting.

“During the early stages of this business incubator it became clear that crew also welcome general advice and support, from lifestyle coaching to adapting their finances,” commented a representative. The LAY support network was established for all crew looking for a Life After Yachting, with online supporters able and willing to give advice on numerous real-world situations.

The third element is a one-day live virtual event on the 18th September where partner companies will each broadcast a 30-minute segment explaining who they are, what they do, and who they are looking to work with. This allows the crew to find out more about potential future employers, advisors and the LAY support network.

In the ‘Kraken’s Den’, entrepreneurial crew will showcase their business plans, ideas and pitches and present them to our leaders of yachting. The Virtual LIVE Event will be broadcast securely via Zoom and live on Superyacht Radio throughout the day.

The superyacht industry is well-known to be a rewarding but highly niche sector, and this can mean that crew can find it hard to meet new employers who understand the transferable skills that crew possess. This initiative may well broaden opportunities for crew and open the eyes of potential employers who would historically look elsewhere.

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