In the maritime sector, you can no longer recruit welders and pipe fitters with a standard job advert on a single job board. It only works if you combine data-driven campaigns with a compelling employer brand and a fast application process, targeting the places where these skilled workers are actually active online. At FosFor, we fill these kinds of hard-to-find roles within an average of 3 [\u2026]<\/p>\n
Does this sound familiar? You\u2019ve got orders on the worksite, but you can\u2019t get the welding team together. The applications you receive aren\u2019t suitable, and the candidates who are actually good are already employed elsewhere. That\u2019s not just bad luck: it\u2019s the reality of a structurally tight labour market for technical staff. In this article, you\u2019ll find out how to break that vicious circle.<\/p>\n
Welders and pipe fitters are among the most in-demand professions on the Dutch labour market. There are simply more vacancies than qualified tradespeople, and these tradespeople rarely apply for jobs actively. They are snapped up before your vacancy is even advertised.<\/p>\n
Technical and metalworking trades have been at the top of the list of hard-to-fill vacancies for years (UWV, 2024). Labour market tightness for technical occupations is structurally higher than the national average (CBS, 2024). For certified welders with, for example, a 6G certificate, or pipe fitters with experience in reading isometric drawings, this shortage is even more acute.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s more, the maritime sector is competing with the wider metalworking, engineering and offshore industries for exactly the same people. A welder who is welding ship hulls today may well be working on a tank or a pipeline in the process industry tomorrow. So anyone who competes solely on salary almost always loses out.<\/p>\n
The maritime sector has specific requirements: working in confined spaces, knowledge of steel grades and welding methods used in shipbuilding, and often physically demanding work in varying conditions. This makes the target group smaller and more discerning when it comes to working conditions and future prospects.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s more, many suitable candidates are spread out geographically around the construction sites, from Zeeland to Friesland. Without region-specific targeting, you\u2019ll miss out on precisely those people who live within a reasonable commuting distance.<\/p>\n
You can recruit hard-to-find maritime professionals by combining three things: reach out to latent jobseekers through targeted social media and search engine campaigns, attract them with a compelling employer story rather than just a job description, and ensure your application process is quick and accessible. Candidates often make their decision within days, not weeks.<\/p>\n\t\t