Representatives of the maritime industry gathered for a roundtable discussion on the future of the sector at the invitation of Minister of Employment Matias Marttinen on 27 November. The discussion focused on identifying solutions to the industry’s labour and skills needs, as well as shared measures to support the strong outlook of Finland’s maritime sector.
Finland has received excellent news throughout the autumn regarding the shipbuilding industry, further strengthening the country’s leading global position in maritime expertise. In October 2025, the shipyards in Turku, Rauma and Helsinki secured significant preliminary agreements to deliver three cruise ships and four icebreakers. These orders will employ thousands of people in the coming years and create new jobs across Finland. Moreover, representatives of the maritime industry gathered for a roundtable discussion to address these developments and their impact on workforce needs.
“Suomi on meriteollisuuden kärkimaita globaalisti. Tänä syksynä on onnistuttu varmistamaan erittäin merkittävät meriteollisuuden tilaukset Suomeen. Työllisyysvaikutus on tuhansia ja tuhansia työntekijöitä. Nyt on varmistettava, että osaamista löytyy ja että saamme suomalaista osaamista entistä vahvemmin meriteollisuuden käyttöön. Samalla on varmistettava, että alasta kiinnostuneilla olisi riittävästi mahdollisuuksia kouluttautua ja hakeutua alalle. Meillä on tässä valtava mahdollisuus, jonka haluamme hyödyntää,” said Minister of Employment Matias Marttinen after meeting with maritime industry stakeholders in Helsinki. Notably, representatives of the maritime industry gathered for a roundtable discussion to highlight these opportunities.
Key Needs Identified at the Roundtable
Several observations were made during the discussion regarding how to ensure the availability of skilled labour for the maritime industry. These included raising the share of domestic labour in maritime sectors, as many skilled professionals and higher-educated workers are currently available and could be attracted to meet industry demand. Participants also highlighted the importance of encouraging young people to explore maritime careers, for example through youth employment vouchers. Regarding this, representatives of the maritime industry gathered for a roundtable discussion to brainstorm practical solutions.
Strengthening cooperation between educational institutions—vocational schools, universities of applied sciences, and universities—and fostering close partnerships with industry were also considered essential. The use of shorter training modules, such as customised joint training programmes, was emphasised as well. Apprenticeship models could support recruitment efforts, and for example, professionals from the construction sector could transition into maritime roles through short conversion-type training.
The roundtable participants included representatives from Meriteollisuus ry, the shipyards in Turku, Helsinki and Rauma, and companies within the subcontracting network. Educational institutions were represented by both higher education and vocational training providers. Representatives from local employment areas and ELY Centres in shipyard regions also took part.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment will complete by December a skills assessment launched by Minister Marttinen. The assessment will outline the skills and labour needs of the maritime industry and propose ways to meet the growing demand for skilled workers. The roundtable discussion forms part of the stakeholder consultations for this assessment. Lastly, it is clear that representatives of the maritime industry gathered for a roundtable discussion to support these important efforts.
Source: Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland
