Canada’s maritime industry has an immediate need to hire, train and retain 300 seafarers, according to the Seafarer Training Institute (STI).
The Institute will hold a job fair between 12 and 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 17 at John Braithwaite Community Centre in Vancouver, in the hopes of meeting local youths who may be interested in a seafaring career.
“The job fair invites anyone living in the Greater Vancouver Area – so if possible, we would love to get the word out to the Richmond community,” said a job fair spokesperson.
With one in five existing seafarers set to retire within the next five years, STI along with industry partners are looking to recruit and train more than 300 people for Canada’s growing merchant marine industry.
“Seafaring is a great career option for folks in Vancouver,” said Patrice Caron, president of STI.
“It’s a lot of hard work, but our members have stable jobs, get paid well and are well taken care of by the Seafarers International Union of Canada."
To apply, applicants need to be 18 or over, with no experience necessary. New recruits will receive training and room and board at no cost, earn more than $60,000 per year right out of school, and are guaranteed their first job, according to STI.
The job fair is part of an SIU campaign to raise awareness of the “good-paying” job opportunities in Canada’s marine industry and to address an “ongoing labour shortage and impending crisis in one of Canada’s fastest growing industries."
Interested candidates can speak with current seafarers, learn about their career at sea and apply on the spot to begin their seafaring career at the job fair on Saturday.
