Since 2015, Sailors’ Society has been providing comprehensive wellness support and training for seafarers and their companies through its pioneering Wellness at Sea programme. With the stresses of life at sea growing, Sailors’ Society recognises the importance of offering wellness education and assistance from the earliest point in a seafarer’s career – cadetship.

In a first for the maritime industry, Sailors’ Society drew on core elements and knowledge from the Wellness at Sea programme to host virtual health and wellbeing conferences designed exclusively for maritime school cadets.

In August 2022, the maritime welfare organisation held the first of these in partnership with 21 Indian and Sri Lankan maritime colleges. The ‘Wellness at Sea Maritime Schools Conference 2022 India: Positive wellbeing for a rewarding seafaring career’ was a day-long webinar featuring talks from a bespoke mix of international and top Indian industry leaders and focused on key issues facing cadets today.

More than 1,600 participants joined the conference, which also included interactive sessions and practical advice, providing them with the tools and knowledge to help manage their wellbeing as they embark on their careers at sea. It also signposted them to resources and places to access support if needed at any point in their careers.

The event, which aimed to equip and empower those attending with awareness and skills to serve them throughout their seafaring lives, was sponsored by Immarsat with Fleet Management Ltd, hosted online by The UK P&I Club and chaired by Johan Smith, Sailors’ Society’s Head of Wellness, and lead on Wellness at Sea.

More than 96 per cent of cadets polled at the conference said that wellbeing training should be mandatory with one cadet commenting: “The need for educating the seafarers about mental health is a must and it is done well through this conference. All the speakers were excellent and are very experienced. I personally learned a lot.”

The conference deliberated on important subjects such as Changing maritime landscapes, personal wellbeing at sea, trauma and disruptive events at sea, mental wellbeing of seafarers and a special session on student perspectives.

Marex Media