Crewing up for the future at North Star

Seafaring is one of the world’s oldest occupations. With a history that dates back as far as the Egyptians and the Vikings, life at sea has long been crucial for exploration and trade. 

Today, as the maritime industry evolves, there’s a unique opportunity to inspire a new generation of seafarers. While industry recruiters have noted a dip in applicants to maritime training programmes - particularly since COVID - this shift also presents a chance to reimagine and revitalise the appeal of a modern maritime career, especially here in the UK.

In the years following the pandemic, many potential seafarers simply haven’t been exposed to the wide range of exciting career paths available at sea—especially as rapid advances in technology have reshaped the industry and the nature of many roles. Recognising this as a moment to reset perceptions, North Star - a leading provider of offshore infrastructure vessels and support services - has stepped up with a proactive approach. By investing in its people, nurturing talent, and showcasing the dynamic opportunities within maritime, the business is helping to reignite interest and build a stronger, future-ready workforce.

Having already transitioned from the fishing industry to oil and gas, and now in its latest evolution - renewables - the 138-year-old business is striving to remain competitive in the marketplace. 

The firm, which boasts the UK’s largest wholly owned fleet, looks after all its ship management in-house. Its combined shoreside crewing department of 19 oversees all placement, travel and development for their seafarers, building a strong, supportive and inclusive culture.

As North Star accelerates its shift into the offshore wind sector, its approach to crewing up is evolving to match the pace of change. The company’s new generation of Service Operations Vessels (SOVs) marks a major milestone, not only in fleet capability but also in how crews are selected, trained and supported. 

Recognising that experienced seafarers are essential to safe and efficient operations in offshore wind, North Star is strategically redeploying talent from its emergency response and rescue vessels (ERRVs), many of whom possess transferrable skills well-suited to SOV roles.

Resources which include providing industry-leading crew welfare initiatives, such as onboard gym equipment and improved communication systems, help to ensure job satisfaction and long-term retention among its 1,300 seafarers, who are all employees rather than contractedpersonnel, operating in the North Sea.

With bases in Aberdeen, Lowestoft, Newcastle and Hamburg, North Star’s fleet boasts 44assets. The company provides safety critical, continuous around the clock support services to more than 50 North Sea installations with its ERRVs. 

It has four SOVs - Grampian Tyne, Grampian Derwent, Grampian Tees and Grampian Tweed - are being delivered to the Dogger Bank Wind Farm partners for 10-year minimumcharters. In addition to this, the business has four newbuilds underway which will support offshore wind projects in the UK and across Europe. 

At the heart of its recruit and retain strategy is providing opportunities for talent to grow. But with less people applying for jobs at sea, and an ageing workforce working on vessels today, there is a real urgency to cultivate a new generation of crew. Putting succession plans in place with a focus on transferring knowledge and skills is crucial for maintaining the industry workforce.

Colin Rushton, head of human resources at the shipping firm explains: “North Star has developed a strategic approach to crewing its vessels. We have found over the years that to help preserve the company’s culture and high operational standards, it is vitally important to retain crew that external and incoming talent can learn from and then apply this to the burgeoning offshore wind market. 

“At North Star, around 50-60% of new positions on our recently built SOVs have been filled by personnel already within the company. This allows us to not only give current employees an opportunity to develop in their own careers and experience this next generation of seafaring as we transition into offshore wind, but also nurture the fresh talent coming through the doors and working alongside them.” 

Much of this transfer has come from the many crew members who previously worked on North Star’s fleet of ERRVs, who therefore possess transferable skills for SOV operations. 

With some additional training and certification required for coxswains, progressing ERRV crew members from OPITO to Royal Yachting Association (RYA) qualifications, North Star has invested in training programmes to facilitate this type of smooth transition. This has included working with training providers such as RYA Sail and Powerboat in Lowestoft and You and Sea in Helensburgh.

North Star is also collaborating with training providers and nautical colleges across the UKand Europe, to enhance skills for dynamic positioning, crane operators and walk-to-work gangway operators, areas where there is currently a skills shortage.

An important but often overlooked route into seafaring careers is through ratings. Performingessential tasks in both the deck and engine departments, ratings gain hands-on experience under the supervision of senior officers. By offering structured career progression and skill development, vessel operators can enhance the appeal of this role, making it a more attractive entry point into the maritime industry. 

Colin said: “This type of training initiative not only helps recruit aspiring seafarers, but also ensures a steady supply of skilled personnel ready to move up the ranks. We’ve had a really positive experience with this, partnering with North East Scotland College (NESCol) in Peterhead to recruit from their Efficient Deckhand (EDH) courses, to backfill positions on ERRVs of those who have transitioned to SOV roles. This programme introduces individuals to the industry, allowing them to start as trainee ratings before progressing to deckhand and ultimately coxswain positions, ensuring a structured career development path.”

Attracting new talent is the final challenge to building crews. As the industry continues to scale up to meet global climate goals, a new generation of skilled, motivated professionals is needed to maintain high safety standards and support the rapid deployment of renewable energy infrastructure. 

With an ageing maritime workforce and fewer young people pursuing seafaring careers, bridging this talent gap is more urgent than ever. 

However, certain perceptions and a lack of visibility of the sector can impact this. Low diversity, poor conditions in certain occupations and the lack of career progression are slowing the talent pipeline. Even those in traditional maritime towns are beginning to seek other careers. A Maritime UK poll1 found nearly half of 18 – 24-year-olds near the coast planned to move away due to job scarcity, but 70% would stay if the right opportunities existed. 

Colin explained: “This is why maritime educational opportunities should be created for young people – engaging with them early and providing hands-on experiences, to spark interest and enthusiasm for marine careers.

“Additionally, many young people are unaware of the opportunities that exist across the maritime sector. Seafaring can lend itself to a whole host of careers at sea including offshore support vessels, ferries, cruise ships, and yachts.

“The introduction of SOVs at North Star has sparked renewed interest, seeing a reverse indecline in cadet applications. With offshore wind projects such as Dogger Bank on people’sdoorsteps, enthusiasm is growing, and we must step up and showcase the breadth of work that the sector offers. From engineering and vessel operations to data analysis and environmental monitoring, the sector offers dynamic career paths with real-world impacts.”

North Star aims to expand its outreach, with new cadet intakes planned for September 2025 at multiple UK maritime colleges including Glasgow and South Shields. As the country’s largest employer of offshore cadets, over the last two decades it has trained hundreds of future deck and engineering trainees, investing £1million annually on average to develop the next generation.

Its investment in training, welfare and career development not only support the company’s expansion into renewables but also help future-proof the industry as it adapts to emerging challenges and opportunities.