Greek shipping through the eyes of young people

Greek shipping has been identified with the history of Greece since the years of the struggle for independence. For many decades, it has been a key pillar of employment in both island and continental regions. To a large extent, it consists the most genuine expression of extroversion and open horizons – two key elements of the Greek identity.

The shipping industry is a source of revenue, employment and prestige for Greece. It represents an important percentage of the Greek GDP, but, in addition to its direct contribution to the economy, it also has a significant indirect effect, through its impact on other sectors that supply or support shipping, but also through the consumption of households from wages and salaries derived from shipping. In addition, the shipping industry provides foreign exchange and revenue for the country.

Young people, however, do not view the choice of a career in shipping positively, as their perception of the profession does not correspond to the characteristics considered as important when looking for work. This is the result of an EY survey of 1,000 young people aged 16-30, as well as of interviews with shipping company executives and representatives of Naval Schools. The problem mainly concerns possible employment at sea, particularly at crew level, but also extends to jobs on land.

With regard to junior sea personnel, the reduced wages of international competition, combined with the rise in living standards in Greece and the attractiveness of working in tourism, especially in island regions, have led to the total obsolescence of this professional choice. On the other hand, at the level of captains and engineers, the demand from shipping companies outweighs the supply. The reluctance of Greek young people to claim these jobs is intensified by the depreciation of the Merchant Navy Academies (A.E.N.).

The above findings are examined in greater detail in our survey, Greek shipping through the eyes of young people (in Greek). 

According to the survey, young people – in a significant proportion – recognize that Greek shipping supports the national economy and attribute positive characteristics to the industry, such as dynamism, robustness, prestige, and tradition. However, few spontaneously mention shipping as sector in which they would like to work. Faced with specific career-oriented alternatives, the majority rank jobs at sea in last place, while onshore jobs lag behind jobs in tourism or retail.

Based on the findings of the survey, the dominant criteria on the basis of which young people assess jobs, are the pleasant environment, permanence and prospects for development. Work in shipping, particularly at sea, according to young people, lags behind the first two criteria, while high wages, in terms of which shipping prevails, do not seem capable of offsetting the negative elements.