Ben Geary, Chairman of Superyacht UK and Chief Operating Officer at Döhle Yachts, has issued an open letter to the UK superyacht industry seeking support in a new endeavour by the organisation to encourage the next generation to pursue careers within the sector.

In the letter, Geary states, “We stand at a pivotal moment where our legacy and future intersect. Before us is a monumental yet exhilarating challenge: to inspire the imaginations of the up-and-coming generation.” He explains that many young people are unaware of the marine industry’s existence, and so he believes the sector must come together to enlighten and inspire this generation to join the industry and become future pioneers and leaders of the industry. 

This echoes a comment I made during a YPY panel discussion at The Superyacht Forum 2022, questioning how we can expect young talent to try to get a foot into the door of our industry when they aren’t even aware that such a door exists in the first place. Geary fears that a failure to bring in the next generation will exacerbate recruitment challenges not only now but for many years to come. 

As many of us know, and as Geary describes in the letter, the industry has so many career opportunities available, meaning almost anyone can find a place for their interests and skills to flourish within the marine and superyacht industry. 

Evidently, the problem isn't a lack of opportunity, but rather a lack of younger people entering education and the job market who see a future through maritime and superyachts, due to a lack of being shown what’s on offer. This is where Geary has a vision “to align and amplify the incredible work you do into a cohesive, strategic campaign that captures the hearts and minds of our future leaders”. 

Ben Geary

Superyacht UK would like to unveil this ambition at the Southampton International Boat Show (13 to 22 September 24) to the eager eyes of over a thousand students. To assist with this, it needs media, promotional capabilities and other unique skills to fully demonstrate the breadth and depth of opportunities within the industry, specifically they are seeking the following: 

· Videos showcasing our finest vessels and general superyacht world
· Stories of apprentices finding their place in the industry
· Stories of cadets forging their futures
· Images/videos of ongoing efforts
· Opportunities these students can engage with now, or look forward to joining in their career

The contact details can be found at superyachtuk.com

Subsequent to this, Superyacht UK will develop an extensive collaborative blueprint “to elevate awareness, to inspire, to educate and to guide the next generation toward the illustrious careers that the Superyacht world offers”. Gear finishes his letter: “I believe our collective support will be the game changer when it comes to cultivating the seeds of tomorrow’s excellence.”

Attracting new talent to the industry will enhance the sustainability of the industry by nurturing a workforce that ensures the future of our industry, filled with new talent which will bring with them new ideas, fresh attitudes and solutions to our industry, creating a bright future for our industry. Additionally, promoting our industry will help improve the currently low public perception of the industry, showing that it isn’t just for the wealthy, but also offers excellent career opportunities which bring with them bright futures.

We should not be shortsighted and assume that we will always easily find the new talent we need, but rather we should be proactive and seek out and direct talent towards us, and look forward to reaping the benefits of doing so.

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