The award comes from Stiftelsen Norsk Maritim Kompetanse (Norwegian Maritime Competence Foundation), which consists of representatives from the entire maritime industry in Norway. Minister of Fisheries and Ocean Policy, Marianne Sivertsen Næss, presented the award to Sea1 Offshore during a ceremony on board the training ship Christian Radich on Wednesday, 12 June.  

Line Heimstad, chairman of the foundation, justified the award as follows:

"We are impressed by Sea1 Offshore's investment in apprentices and sailors, and how the company contributes to lifting the sailor profession. We will particularly highlight the shipping company's collaboration with Christian Radich's Windjammer education programme, which is an important contribution to lifting young people from being outsiders to becoming seafarers".

The award "Maritime Education Company of the Year" is awarded once a year to companies that make a special effort to recruit to the seafaring profession. A proud Tore Lillestø, Chief Operations Officer at Sea1 Offshore, received the award on behalf of the Company.

"For many years, we have worked purposefully to contribute to the recruitment and training of Norwegian seafarers. The award shows that we have done a lot right. The number of apprentices with us has steadily increased, and today 14 young men and women are apprenticed on our vessels," says Lillestø.

Diversity
Through Christian Radich's Windjammer programme, Sea1 Offshore accepts young people aged 16-28 who have missed out on education, training or school, and gives them practical training as ordinary seamen. The shipping company also accepts cadets from vocational schools who want to train as first officers and engineers. In total, the company currently has over 20active training positions.

Sea1 Offshore strives to recruit widely from all over the country. This winter, several students from maritime schools were deployed on board our vessels. Several of these students will start as apprentices in the Company after they finish school at the end of June.

“It is important to make young people curious about working life at sea and make them aware of the opportunities in the industry. Contributing to securing recruitment for the maritime sector is a responsibility for all actors in the industry”, says Lillestø.

Satisfied apprentice
Samuel Lamark has been an apprentice at Sea1 Offshore for two years and will continue as an Able Seaman when his apprenticeship period is completed. He now serves aboard the Siem Pearl. As an apprentice, Samuel has already gained broad experience, both in supply and now in anchor handling.

"I really enjoy working at sea. We live close to each other, and it feels as close with colleagues as with family and friends at home. My colleagues are incredibly skilled and good at sharing their knowledge. I learn something new every day," says Lamark.

The Norwegian Maritime Competence Foundation emphasizes that it is important for the future of the shipping nation Norway that the shipping companies make an effort to recruit apprentices.  

“Norway is the world's fifth largest shipping nation in terms of fleet value. Over 20,000 Norwegian seamen work on Norwegian-controlled vessels, and we need even more. Therefore it is incredibly important to have shipping companies like Sea1 to take the lead, says head of the foundation, Line Heimstad.

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