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Employability skills of maritime business graduates: industry perspectives

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-19, 17:05 authored by Shu-Ling ChenShu-Ling Chen, Stephen CahoonStephen Cahoon, Pateman, H, Prashant BhaskarPrashant Bhaskar, Wang, G, Parsons, J
The maritime industry underpins international business and world trade. As to be expected, business management is critical for the maritime industry, requiring highly trained individuals and teams to lead the development, implementation and control of sound contemporary management practices. Maritime business degrees are developed by universities to meet such demand by providing graduates with sufficient skills for the onshore business-related roles. This empirical study conducted in Australia, USA and Canada, investigates current and future industry employability skills for maritime business graduates through focus groups, individual interviews and an online survey with senior managers in maritime organisations. This study found the important employability skills for maritime business graduates which include communication, problem solving, adaptability, self-management, team work, and digital literacy and technology. Demand for digital literacy and technology knowledge and skills have increased due to the maritime industry having a trend of moving towards digitalisation and automation. However, the survey findings revealed that a skills focus for maritime business graduates will not be the technology itself but the use and management of technology. In relation to future skills/knowledge required from maritime business degree graduates in 10 years’ time, communication and adaptability are recognised as being the most important. Employers expect that maritime business graduates should be able to adopt new technology and be competent in communication, and be more adaptable given the highly dynamic nature of the maritime industry. Moreover, they require graduates to be equipped with a higher level of computer skills, have a strong work ethic and multilingual skills.

Funding

International Association of Maritime Universities

History

Publication title

WMU Journal of Maritime Affairs

Volume

17

Pagination

267-292

ISSN

1651-436X

Department/School

Australian Maritime College

Publisher

Springer

Place of publication

Germany

Rights statement

Copyright 2018 World Maritime University

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Workforce transition and employment

Usage metrics

    University Of Tasmania

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