The Progressive Crew Career Programme (PCCP) has launched its Social Responsibility Package, containing Human Rights at Sea and Contractual Obligations online courses for crew. The online resource was made in response to rising concerns of abuse in the superyacht industry and to better educate crew on safety at sea.

“Early entry opportunities to the luxury Superyacht industry are poorly framed and often associated with ratings-chasing bad crew behaviour perpetuated by reality TV shows,” Morgan Hay, Head of Sales at Progressive Crew explains to SuperyachtNews. “This leads to human and labour rights abuses, exploitation, and increased chances of serious incidents of abuse at sea.”

The training courses offered as part of the PCCP are the result of seven years of development. As newcomers to the yachting industry join the industry and lack safety awareness and knowledge of their human rights at sea, Hay says maritime training partners must exercise their duty of care through education and support.

The new package was created in response to the increase in the number of incidents related to abuse, bullying, harassment, or discrimination (ABHD) in superyachting. According to ISWAN data, ABHD increased by 81.3% year-on-year.

The data also indicates that these increasing experiences of ABHD had a significant impact on the mental health of the yacht crew. Nearly a quarter (24.3%) of yacht crew who contacted Yacht Crew Help for mental health challenges also reported experiencing some form of abuse, and ABHD issues accounted for 9.2% of all concerns raised through the helpline.

The social responsibility package is endorsed by Human Rights at Sea, with its consultancy, Human Rights at Sea International, aiding the research and development of the online course. The main takeaway for students is an informative education on their human rights and contractual obligations whilst onboard to minimise the risk of exploitation or abuse. Participants will also be supported throughout their first year on board.

“By ensuring students complete the social responsibility package, training providers are creating a safer and more equitable yachting industry for all and meeting the expectations of civil society organizations,” says Hay.

The Progressive Crew Career Programme aims to support aspiring Superyacht crew with core knowledge and offer a professional online platform to inform and influence their choices. It provides a completion certificate, indicating a candidate's commitment to their future career.

“We developed these programmes because what we need is a robust interview tool that gives quantifiable metrics so that the captains don’t waste time with people who are not serious about a career in the industry,” says Hay. “However, above all, the health, safety, personal security and well-being of all crew must always be the priority. Without crew, there is no industry.”

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