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Financial support is needed – has the original objective of youth sailing been forgotten by today's maritime cluster? The COVID-19 pandemic brought hard times for the Sail Training Association of Finland as it was not possible to use the ships at all. Vahine may have to be sold to ease the burden of debt. Also, finding sponsors for youth work does not seem to be very easy in today's world. Many thanks to the Seafarers’ Pension Fund for recently joining the active sponsors. The Finnish seafaring and maritime industry are currently suffering from an extreme shortage of personnel. They were the original founders of the Sail Training Association of Finland (STAF), which has been operating successfully for 50 years. Back then, they were willing to invest in these types of activities and were specifically motivated by the idea of recruiting young people. Today, none of the companies within the seafaring or maritime industry seem to be prepared to actively support this significant recruitment channel. Would now be a good time to reconsider the power of maritime youth work? Even the Finnish Navy trains its cadets nowadays on foreign sailing ships.

Traveling friends onboard S/Y Helena of Sail Training Association

The Seafarers’ Pension Fund has decided to grant the 2023 Ove Ericsson Award to Godby Shipping / Trailer Link as a recognition of the company's goal-oriented and successful work for the promotion of health and well-being at work of the seafarers working aboard their ships.

2023 Mercy Ships Race Mimer seapersonnel jogging

Do discrimination and unfair treatment occur aboard Finnish merchant ships? If they do, what form do they take and how should they be handled? This survey on this issue is being conducted as part of the thesis for Captain-to-be Jussi Nieminen, who is studying at the South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences (Xamk). The survey will be sponsored by the Seafarers’ Pension Fund and will focus on active seafarers in the Fund’s register.