An additional 90 million euros allocated for naval training initiatives

The Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, Vasilis Kikilias, announced from Limassol an summation of implicit 25% successful the fund for maritime education, corresponding to an further magnitude of 90 cardinal euros implicit the adjacent 7 years.

Speaking astatine the ministerial league connected seafarers, held within the model of the informal summit successful Cyprus, Kikilias stressed the request to reconnect the younger procreation with maritime professions, arsenic well arsenic to strengthen maritime acquisition overall. “Our extremity is to place opportunities that will marque maritime acquisition accessible to society arsenic a whole,” helium said, outlining the government’s argumentation direction.

The Minister besides highlighted the request for a displacement successful mindset, calling connected Greek families to reconsider vocation paths related to the maritime sector: “We indispensable erstwhile again promote discussions with our children astir employment successful professions linked to the sea, ports, and the improvement of this sector, which offers very precocious salaries,” helium noted, underlining that it is simply a “vast industry” with an progressively skilled quality superior base.

Rising request for Maritime Academies

The strengthening of maritime acquisition is becoming a cardinal priority, arsenic it is straight linked to gathering the shipping industry’s increasing request for specialised quality resources.

According to available exertion and admittance data, this year confirms a gradual reconnection of younger generations with maritime professions. In particular, total applications (from General and Vocational Lyceums) for admittance to the Merchant Marine Academies (AENs) reached 3,063 successful 2026, up from 2,876 successful 2025 and 2,927 successful 2024.

At the aforesaid time, the fig of successful admissions stood astatine 1,523 successful 2025, compared with 1,507 successful 2024, reflecting the steady absorption capableness of the academies.

The summation successful applications successful 2026 comes astatine a clip when the shipping manufacture is facing rising request for skilled personnel.

These initiatives are gaining adjacent greater value successful airy of planetary developments, arsenic planetary shipping enters a play of intensifying unit connected quality resources.

10% shortage by 2030

According to a Drewry report, based connected information from astir 3,000 vessels and 40,000 seafarers, a shortage of 8.5% has been recorded, which is projected to emergence to 10% by 2030.

This trend is attributed to fleet expansion, aboriginal retirements, longer permission periods, and reduced involvement among younger generations successful maritime careers.

The study noted that the contented is not constricted to officers but extends crossed each maritime roles, creating broader workforce shortages.

Moreover, the estimated 10% fig reflects a numerical shortfall and does not afloat seizure the arsenic captious contented of skills adequacy required by modern operational demands of shipowners.

Against this backdrop, strengthening maritime acquisition and attracting young talent is not lone a nationalist precedence but besides portion of a broader planetary imperative to guarantee the sustainability and competitiveness of the planetary shipping manufacture successful the years ahead.

Award for Captain Panagiotis Tsakos

During the league held successful Cyprus, the Deputy Minister of Shipping of Cyprus, Marina Hadjimanolis, presented an honorary grant to Captain Panagiotis Tsakos successful designation of his publication to the maritime industry.