Roughly half of the young professionals (48%) in the Greek shipping industry said they were open to pursuing career opportunities abroad, according to a survey conducted by Focus Bari.
The study, titled “A New Landscape in Shipping: Company Expectations and Youth Ambitions,” aimed at capturing the career trends in the maritime sector in Greece and was presented at the 8th Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum Conference & Exhibition in Heraklion, Crete.
The study included members of the Yes Forum and executives from shipping companies who participated in online interviews.
Nearly one in three of the respondents (28%) said they would stay in Greece if presented with the right opportunities, and 10% firmly preferred working abroad due to a lack of confidence in the local job market. Only 14% expressed a clear preference for remaining in the country.
Most young people turn to digital platforms (78%) and academic programs (71%) for information about the shipping industry. However, despite their efforts, many feel that their career options remain unclear and that there is a lack of transparent pathways into the sector.
Seventy-five percent of respondents have already taken initial steps toward employment, and 57% feel fully prepared to face professional challenges.
Over one-third of those asked said they were concerned that they may not be the right candidates or that they are not well-prepared, while 28% admitted to not fully understanding what employers are looking for.
Half of the employers reported being satisfied with the young people they hire, which implies that the other half are not. When assessing the competency level of new hires, 47% described it as fairly satisfactory, 39% saw it as average, 10% rated it low, and only 4% considered it very high. The study also noted that, on average, three out of ten new recruits are individuals with no previous work experience.
