Attracting talent from other sectors to the maritime industry means recruiting skilled workers from other sectors – such as installation engineering, the automotive industry or construction – and retraining them specifically as welders, pipe fitters or ship’s electricians. For many shipyards, this is the quickest way to overcome chronic staff shortages, provided you target the right audience with the right message.
Relying on shipbuilding graduates does not provide enough candidates. The skilled workers you need are already working in related technical sectors. The question is how to persuade them to make the switch.
What exactly is a career change into the maritime sector?
Lateral entry refers to the influx of employees who move into a maritime profession from another sector or role, usually following a short retraining or further training programme. Examples include a land-based engineer who becomes a ship’s electrician or a structural fitter who specialises in ship welding.
The difference compared with conventional recruitment lies in the candidate. You are not looking for someone with shipbuilding experience, but for someone with transferable professional skills and the motivation to immerse themselves in maritime work.
For recruitment drives with unfilled technical roles, this is often the only realistic pool of candidates. See what these profiles look like in our current technical vacancies to see which roles are suitable for career changers.
Why is career change the solution to the labour shortage in shipbuilding?
Recruitment from other sectors works because the demand for maritime technical staff far exceeds the supply of traditionally trained professionals. For years, the UWV has classified technical and metalworking trades as hard-to-fill roles (UWV, 2024). Anyone looking solely for ready-made shipbuilders is fishing in a pond that has been fished dry.
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- Recruitment using AI and data
- Takes an average of 3–8 weeks to complete
The maritime manufacturing industry is one of the most specialised technical sectors in the Netherlands, with widespread demand for welders, pipewriters and electricians (Netherlands Maritime Technology, 2024). This specialisation can be off-putting, whilst many of the required basic skills can also be found outside the shipbuilding industry.
By broadening your search to include related sectors, you can expand your pool of candidates to an extent that no pay rise within your own niche could ever achieve. You will then be competing for skilled workers who are not yet actively looking for work in shipbuilding.
That ties in with the essence of our data-driven approach: first, use target audience data to identify where the right professionals are, then post a targeted message that resonates with them.
Which sectors provide the best career changers for the maritime sector?
The best career changers come from sectors involving similar technical tasks and materials. The shorter the learning curve, the quicker someone becomes productive on site.
The table below shows which sectors of origin are often suited to which maritime roles, and why this combination makes sense.
| Origin sector | Maritime purpose | Why it’s a good fit |
|---|---|---|
| Building Services Engineering | Marine electrician | Knowledge of cabling, diagrams and safety standards is directly transferable |
| Metalwork and structural engineering | Ship welder / pipe fitter | Welding techniques and knowledge of materials require maritime specialisation alone |
| Automotive / mechanical engineering | Ship mechanic | Experience with engines, hydraulics and assembly is closely related |
| Offshore and energy | Mechanical Engineer | I am used to working in demanding, safety-focused environments |
| Construction and infrastructure | Maintenance Engineer, Shipyard | Practical skills and a project-based approach translate well |
You don’t determine this mapping based on gut feeling, but on the basis of target audience data and a target audience analysis for blue-collar vacancies. That way, you’ll know in advance which sector will yield the most suitable candidates.
How do you persuade skilled workers from other sectors to make the switch?
You can win over career changers by making the move concrete, secure and appealing. Skilled professionals do not switch careers for a vague promise, but for clarity regarding their learning pathway, job security and career progression.
You should therefore adopt an approach that dispels any doubts a satisfied employee might have. These six steps will help you do just that:
- Translate skills, not job titles. In your message, highlight which of the candidate’s current skills are relevant, so that they can recognise themselves in the description.
- Make the learning pathway explicit. Outline the retraining, support and duration of the process, so that the transition doesn’t feel like a leap of faith.
- Show your vision for the future. Describe the growth opportunities and job security offered by the maritime sector, which are greater than those offered by many temporary projects elsewhere.
- Be honest about the work. You should specify physical demands, shifts and working conditions in advance; this prevents staff from dropping out later on in the candidate journey.
- Choose the right channel and the right moment. You can reach skilled professionals who are passively looking for work via social media outside working hours, rather than through a standard job board.
- Keep the process brief. Speed is key: respond within a few days, because a tradesperson who’s on the fence won’t stick around for long.
According to our project managers, career changes are mainly about trust: “A skilled worker who is already in employment will only make the switch if they know exactly what they stand to gain from it and that the risk is manageable.”
How can you use data-driven recruitment for career changers?
Data-driven recruitment makes career changers a predictable prospect rather than a gamble. You use data from previous campaigns and public labour market data to determine which sector, region and message will deliver the best return on investment.
FosFor combines data from hundreds of recruitment campaigns with target audience research to tailor campaigns to related sectors. Through this data, employers often discover that candidates’ preferences differ from what they had anticipated.
The result is a targeted intake rather than random applications. With this approach, vacancies are filled within 3 to 8 weeks on average, with you, as the client, interviewing only the 2 to 4 best candidates per month.
That saves both time and ensures quality. You don’t waste hours on unsuitable candidates and can keep track of those who are genuinely capable of making the switch. Would you like to see how this approach works in practice? Take a look at our results in the maritime sector.
Region-specific targeting around the construction sites – from Zeeland to the Northern Netherlands – increases the reach amongst skilled workers who do not wish to travel far. Public figures on regional labour market shortages help to support this decision (CBS, 2024).
Frequently asked questions about career changes into the maritime sector
How much does it cost to recruit people from other sectors compared to secondment?
Recruiting from outside the organisation via data-driven recruitment marketing is generally more cost-effective than secondment or using a traditional recruitment agency, as you build up a steady stream of candidates rather than paying per placement. The exact savings depend on your role, volume and region. Request a tailored calculation during a strategy meeting.
How quickly can someone changing careers be deployed on site?
This varies depending on the role and the sector from which the candidate comes. An installation engineer who becomes a marine electrician has a short learning curve and becomes productive relatively quickly, whilst specialised marine welding requires more retraining. With effective skills mapping and guidance, you can minimise the induction period and reduce early drop-out rates.
Which sectors provide the most people entering the maritime sector from other fields?
The installation engineering, metalworking and structural engineering, automotive, mechanical engineering and offshore sectors provide the most suitable candidates, as the technical tasks and safety standards overlap significantly. The best way to determine which sector yields the most candidates for your vacancy is to carry out a target group analysis based on up-to-date labour market data.
Does a standard job advertisement work for career changers?
No. A standard job advert requires maritime experience and actually excludes the skilled professionals you are looking for. A job advert aimed at career changers highlights transferable skills, outlines the learning pathway and appeals to passive jobseekers via social media, rather than just active jobseekers on a job board.
Would you like to find a long-term solution to the labour shortage at your site by bringing in skilled workers from related sectors? Book a no-obligation strategy meeting and find out which target group offers the quickest route to attracting qualified candidates.