OPINION: Building a maritime workforce that reflects Australia's future

I ENJOY a good morning tea as much as the next person. But when it comes to celebrating days like International Women’s Day or International Day for Women in Maritime (IDWIM), this week, let’s remember the stakes are higher than cake.

It’s true that cupcakes and commemorations can bring visibility to the issue of gender imbalance—but visibility is not the same as change. And in a sector grappling with workforce shortages, an ageing talent pipeline, international opposition to inclusion, and the rapid transformation of our operational landscape, we cannot afford to stop at symbolism.

That’s why at Svitzer, our focus this IDWIM is on action—because diversity, equity and inclusion are no longer a “nice to have.” They’re essential to the sustainability, safety, and strength of our maritime sector and our Australian economy.

A workforce issue, not a women’s issue

Women make up just 9.4% of operational roles in the maritime industry. There’s even fewer seafarers. That’s not just a statistic—it’s a signal. It tells us that we are failing to tap into half the population’s potential at a time when we desperately need new talent, new ideas, and new energy.

The problem isn’t just gender imbalance. It’s also generational imbalance. For example, around 65% of Svitzer’s workforce is over 45, and one in five employees are reaching ‘pre-retirement’ age – the time in life when colleagues start to wind down and are typically planning to retire within the next five years.

This is not about being “woke”—it’s about being smart, sustainable, and intentional.

With limited pathways for younger workers into sea-based roles, we’re drifting toward a lee shore — and unless we change course, we risk running aground with too few people to crew the future. When 99 percent of our import and export volume comes by sea, this spells a significant challenge for all Australians irrespective of identity.

And right now is the critical time to act with such vast experience available – and talented seafarers able and keen to train the next generation.

What we’re doing differently

At Svitzer, we’re tackling these workforce challenges head-on. Our recently launched Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategy is built around a core principle: sustainability. It’s about ensuring our industry is one that anyone—regardless of gender, age, race or background—can see themselves in.

We’ve already seen the power of targeted outreach and industry partnerships to create meaningful pathways. In 2024 alone, we introduced more than 100 students to the maritime sector through traineeships, school visits and work experience programs. More than half of those participants were women, and several identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.

Programs like Float Your Boat—run in partnership with NSW Education, Port Authority of NSW, M.A.S.T and Port of Newcastle—are giving high school students real exposure to maritime careers. In Geraldton, WA, we’ve now employed two young women as full-time trainees after they completed school-based maritime traineeships last year.

And through our partnerships with the Stars and Clontarf Foundations we will build work experience and training opportunities for young indigenous students. The first are already training in Darwin, complemented by regular work experience opportunities in our Ports around the country —a successful start, but certainly not the last.

Over two years, we’re on target to onboard 11 new trainees nationally. Six are women. Others identify as Indigenous. All are joining us because they see a future in maritime.

Celebrating the women already here

Our responsibility doesn’t end with recruitment. Retention, mentorship, and leadership development matter just as much.

That’s why we’re proud to support the Women in Shipping and Transport Association (WISTA) and sponsor a leadership course tailored to 120 emerging female leaders in maritime over three years.

We’re also making time to celebrate achievements. From WISTA’s International Women’s Day event in Brisbane to the upcoming IDWIM event in Melbourne, we’re leaning into connection and recognition—because people can’t be what they can’t see.

Diversity benefits everyone

One of the persistent myths in diversity discussions is that it’s a zero-sum game: that opening doors for one group means closing them for another. That couldn’t be further from the truth.

Research from the Diversity Council of Australia shows that men in inclusive workplaces are twice as likely to be satisfied with their jobs, more likely to believe in equal opportunity, and more likely to feel mentally supported.

Leaders in our industry are already moving toward a more inclusive future. In a recent podcast, Sam McSkimming, the CEO of Pilbara Ports shared that “Heterogenous teams beat homogenous every day of the week”.

At Svitzer, we’ve seen firsthand how diverse crews lead to more engaged, higher-performing teams. Our male colleagues are among the biggest champions of our DE&I work, often acting as mentors, trainers, and advocates for new entrants.

We also recognise that improving workforce sustainability means also appealing to the next generation of white men. Because the problem is not who we hire—it’s how narrowly we’ve searched. Broadening that lens benefits everyone.

The road ahead

As the AFR recently reported, BHP’s ambitious pursuit of gender balance was not without its lessons. But what mattered most was persistence and leadership. We in maritime would do well to learn from that example.

There’s still much to do—from improving training access, to funding sea time, to better aligning national skills programs to industry demand.

But days like IDWIM give us a moment to reflect and re-commit. To acknowledge what’s working, own what’s not, and keep moving forward.

So yes, have the cupcake. Enjoy the morning tea.

But let’s make sure that after the plates are cleared, the work continues.