SEA4SHORE National Conference is Held in Istanbul:

A New Approach to Strengthening Maritime Vocational Education and Career Attractiveness

The recruitment of young talents into maritime professions and ensuring their long-term retention in these professions are among the priority agenda items for the sector both in Turkey and across Europe. However, sectoral experiences indicate that the long-term career uncertainty in maritime professions makes it difficult for young people to pursue and remain in this field.

In this context, the SEA4SHORE Project has been developed as an innovative European initiative aimed at aligning vocational education and training (VET) in the maritime sector more closely with the labor market and supporting young people in making informed, safe, and sustainable career choices.

In this scope, the SEA4SHORE National Conference will be held on Friday, February 13, 2026, in Istanbul, bringing together seafarers, maritime professionals, educational institutions, industry representatives, and decision-makers to address the future of maritime careers from a multidimensional perspective.

Making Maritime Professions More Attractive

The SEA4SHORE Project, developed by a Europe-based consortium consisting of universities, vocational training providers, research institutions, and industry stakeholders, is based on the understanding that promoting maritime professions and offering realistic and transparent career paths are not contradictory but rather complementary elements that enhance the attractiveness of vocational education.

SEA4SHORE aims not to distance seafarers from the sea but to ensure that young people who are inclined towards maritime professions can make more confident choices by better understanding the realities of the profession and continue to add value to the sector in the later stages of their careers.

SEA4SHORE Digital Tool: Building Trust in Vocational Education

The SEA4SHORE Digital Career Compatibility Tool, which will be introduced during the conference, aims to provide students receiving maritime education and seafarers with a clearer view of how their knowledge, skills, and competencies correspond to the labor market.

This digital tool will:

- Help young people in vocational education understand the fields their training opens doors to,

- Assist educational institutions in developing their programs according to industry needs,

- Enable shipowners and employers to define maritime competencies more accurately,

thus supporting the reduction of early dropouts in vocational education.

Experience-Based Panel and Round Table Discussions

The conference program organized by MARITIME INNOVATORS includes sectoral assessments, project and digital tool presentations, as well as experience-based panels. The event aims to create a dialogue environment where participants can actively contribute.

A Project Developed with European Cooperation

Financed by the Erasmus+ Program, the SEA4SHORE Project is a product of the collaborative efforts of European educational institutions and industry stakeholders that continue to promote maritime professions, in line with a vocational education approach that adapts to changing labor market needs and is ready for the future.

Registrations Are Ongoing

Participation in the SEA4SHORE National Conference is free of charge. Those who wish to attend the event and obtain detailed information can register through the following link:

👉 https://sea4shore.com/turkiye-event/

Source: SeaNews Türkiye

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Enhancing Maritime Careers: SEA4SHORE Conference in Istanbul