The future of the ocean economy is bright, and building the workforce to power it is key to that future.
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Workforce development isn’t just about jobs, however. It’s about cultivating a strong, skilled, and future-ready talent pool that can keep the economic momentum going, spark new ideas, drive innovation, and help grow the ambitions of a thriving, sustainable ocean economy.
As we look ahead to Ambition 2035, the Canadian ocean community’s bold vision to grow its ocean economy to $220 billion by 2035, we continue building on the work already underway, and on the growing network of people and partnerships that are stepping up with new ideas and fresh energy, ready to rise to the challenge. At the center of it all is a talented, skilled, diverse, and resilient workforce. A workforce that will shape what comes next as we inspire, equip, and empower this talent to lead the way.
To meet the pace of change, ocean employers need talent with not only traditional marine expertise, but also cutting-edge skills including data analytics, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and sustainable design. The future ocean workforce must be as dynamic as the challenges it will face; adaptive, interdisciplinary, and tech-savvy. Across ocean industries, from shipping and transportation, ocean tech, renewable energy, fisheries and more, the demand for skilled, agile professionals is growing fast.
What we need is to connect people with opportunity, invest in future-focused skills and knowledge, and build clear, inclusive pathways into ocean careers; pathways that are supported by investing in the right training and education programs. It’s about opening doors for people at every stage. Whether it’s a student exploring their first career, a person transitioning from another sector, or someone bringing lived and community-based experience. There’s space, and a future, for them here.
Beyond preparing people for jobs, we need to rethink how talent is recruited, trained, and retained. People need the tools to lead, to innovate, and to shape the future of our oceans in ways that are sustainable and equitable.
Ultimately, for businesses and organizations in the ocean economy, workforce development has to be part of the strategy. Because talent is what drives growth, innovation, and resilience. It is what turns ideas into action. With Ambition 2035 in view, the opportunity and the responsibility is clear: we must invest in people as intentionally as we invest in infrastructure, technology, and research.
