Dedicated marine science programmes account for less than 10% of higher educational (degree) programmes in Europe, at the time when the EU promotes a Blue Growth Strategy. The Working Group on Marine Graduate Training identified ways to improve the capabilities of the next generation of marine scientists and engineers to work at a systems level, applying multi-disciplinary knowledge to address complex marine issues which cut across scientific, environmental and social systems.
Future Science Brief 2, Training the 21st Century Marine Professional: A new vision for marine graduate education and training programmes in Europe (April 2018)
News Release and news article on the publication (April 2018)
News article on the launch event (September 2018)
Fact Sheet on the marine graduate training publication (August 2018)
Impact Report on the marine graduate training publication (November 2020)
Sea Tech Week Workshop on The future of observations from seabed to space: Training to support marine science (October 2020)
The workforce for tomorrow’s marine and maritime industry, policy and research fields will be drawn from a pool of graduates who are currently receiving training in higher education institutions. Currently, dedicated marine science programmes account for less than 10% of higher educational (degree) programmes in Europe, although training relevant to marine scientific fields or applications is also included in broader disciplinary training programmes, e.g. environmental courses.
In order to facilitate the anticipated growth and job expansion envisioned by the EU Blue Growth initiative, a skilled workforce will be required, comprised of graduates from many different levels of the educational system. Education and research are, therefore, central components of the blue growth strategy and it is recognized that training itself, and the delivery of high-quality graduate programmes, is part of the engine which drives innovation and technology development in maritime sectors.
Additional contributions from:
Contact at European Marine Board Secretariat: Paula Kellett Email