Marine Society are proud to announce that our Coming Ashore programme reached its 200th applicant this month. This has been achieved in under a year since the programme’s launch back in February 2020.
From its original inception back in 2016, Coming Ashore has developed into a flourishing multifaceted programme of support that is helping make a clear path for seafarers transitioning to a shoreside role.
This milestone is a landmark for the programme and supports the fact that many seafarers – especially the millennial generation- now come ashore much earlier than their predecessors, with long careers at sea becoming less common.
Our mentoring programme is starting to build fruitful relationships between our Coming Ashore mentors and their respective mentees with feedback from both groups being very positive.
The decision to commit to the programme is a huge one for our mentees. Paul Naranjo-Shepherd – a programme mentor – appropriately describes the transition ashore as ‘a leap into the dark for most of us’. And it truly is.
Paul highlights the fact that when he was looking to move ashore, he felt like ‘there were jobs and opportunities out there but you have no access to them, nor much of an idea where or what they are.’
The founder of Whitehorse Maritime believes we may have found a solution to the issue:
“The Marine Society's Coming Ashore program solves this problem by connecting those coming ashore to those who have already made the transition. That way, those coming ashore have the support, contacts and mentoring necessary to make their move ashore a great success"
Many seafarers find the adjustment very challenging initially, which is why, with the generous support of MEF and the ITF Seafarers Trust, we have been able to develop this programme and want to help as many seafarers as possible.
In these unprecedented times, you may be considering your job prospects more than ever in order to secure a stable career. If this is you, we encourage you to visit www.marine-society.org/coming-ashore to find out everything you need to know about the programme and whether it would fit your needs.
