Blue Generation Project update

Credits: Blue Generation Project

Blue Generation Project has developed the Blue Career Guide, an attractive and informative tool for young people between 15 to 29 years old to guide them for the career opportunities in the Blue Economy growth areas: coastal tourism, aquaculture, ocean energy, marine biotechnology, shipbuilding, maritime transport and fisheries.

The Career Guide provides valid information, gathered by the expert partners of the Blue Generation project about the job opportunities along with the employment status at national or EU level. It also contains special interviews from professionals in all sectors.

Credits: Blue Generation Project
Credits: Blue Generation Project

Below some of the latest activities of the Blue Generation Project:

1. Enterprising Society Development Foundation | Study Visit

After several months of preparation, we succeeded and between 21st and 26th November 2021 in Gdansk, in the north of Poland, a study visit for 10 participants of our project took place.

Young people for a period of 5 days, had the opportunity to see from the inside how important institutions for the maritime industry such as Galeon Sp. z o.o and Sunreef Yachts function and operate. They met with employees of Smart Garrison Hotel representing the hotel industry and with employees of Incubator Starter of Gdansk, who work daily with companies and enterprises from the entire central coast and have extensive experience in promoting career opportunities within the Blue Economy.

Throughout the entire visit the participants were accompanied by a qualified career counselor, acting as a mentor. Together with her, on the first day, a special workshop was held to introduce the topics of the study visit.

All participants emphasized that it was a valuable experience, and they were grateful for the opportunity to see how companies from different sectors of the Blue Economy function behind the scenes.

2. Blue Generation Project organized the #roundtable “EMPLOYMENT & TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES IN BLUE ECONOMY” @ Regional Funds Week on 09.12.21.

Credits: Blue Generation Project

Some of the main points highlighted by the participants answering the questions addressed by the moderator Marianna Terzidaki, Project Coordinator, Militos Consulting S.A:

  • an optimistic view for growth in the  recreational boating sector was presented by Philip Easthill, General Secretary, Expert Partner European Boating Industry. New trends accelerated by the pandemic have led to an increasing interest in outdoor activities and therefore in higher demand for employees to support it
  • executives from the business sector with knowledge of biology are in need in order to run the plethora of start-ups emerging in marine biotechnology, the most innovative Blue Economy sector, as Dr. Euthalia, Arvaniti, Marine Biologist, Expert partner Submariner, mentioned
  • the inverted skills gap that prevails in many Southern European countries, where the job market requires skills lower than those of the unemployed youth, was referred by Dr. Ioannis Papageorgiou, Communication Manager Youth Share Project, who identified the change of economic paradigm at regional level as a means to bridge this gap.
  • more than 8,000 youth have been informed about the employment opportunities in Blue Economy by the Blue Generation Team, but, as Silja Teege, Managing Director, Beneficiary Partner Sea Teach, stressed, the challenge is that Blue Economy is often overlooked as a sector of opportunities and many teachers, headmasters, mentors, or employment officers need to change their mindset and promote it to youth.

And some data: Blue Generation Project | Attracted Youth

The Blue Generation Project team committed to present to as many young people as possible the professions related with the sea and the job opportunities in the Blue Economy. Until now we have informed 10.316 people and counting…

Credits: Blue Generation Project

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