SEA4SHORE National Event – Croatia
University of Rijeka – Faculty of Maritime Studies
Summary of the Conference
The SEA4SHORE national dissemination event in Croatia was hosted by the University of Rijeka, Faculty of Maritime Studies. The event brought together maritime professionals, industry stakeholders and students to discuss sea-to-shore career transition pathways and to introduce the SEA4SHORE project and its online guidance tool.
Purpose of the Event
The event had two main objectives:
- To introduce the Erasmus+ project SEA4SHORE, focused on supporting seafarers in transitioning from sea-based careers to shore-based professions.
- To host a discussion on sea-to-shore transition challenges and collect feedback on the tool itself.
Speakers
Ana Perić Hadžić, PhD
Dean, Faculty of Maritime Studies — University of Rijeka
In the opening address, she highlighted the importance of initiatives like SEA4SHORE in strengthening links between maritime education and labour market needs, supporting professional transitions, and contributing to long-term workforce sustainability in the maritime sector. She also emphasised the value of Erasmus+ and international cooperation in fostering innovation and inclusive career development.
Đani Mohović, PhD
Project Team Leader, Faculty of Maritime Studies — University of Rijeka
He provided an overview of the project objectives, partnership, and results, presenting the work completed throughout the project. Participants were guided through the tool usage and encouraged to complete the online questionnaire to provide structured feedback.
Key points highlighted:
- Project phases and work packages
- Case studies — 60 examples of sea-to-shore transitions
- Identification of 125 relevant onshore occupations
- Development of an online guidance and skills-matching tool
Discussion Highlights
He described the challenge of recruiting specialised workforce for ship inspector roles. He emphasised that former ship officers are often the most suitable candidates due to their first-hand experience with on-board inspections and supervision, yet recruitment remains difficult because such expertise is rare among purely shore-based personnel.
He noted that VTS roles require very specific maritime knowledge and skills similar to bridge navigation management. He highlighted that one major barrier for attracting active seafarers to shore roles is the significant income gap between sea-going and shore-based employment.
He praised the project and the tool for providing a broader view of shore-based career options. He also pointed out a local challenge: many attractive shore jobs for seafarers may not be available in Croatia, and relocating abroad may conflict with the motivation to move ashore—being closer to family and home.
A suggestion was made to integrate artificial intelligence to automatically gather job adverts relevant to selected shore-based roles, and to allow geographic filtering (zones/areas) so users can explore opportunities within a chosen region.
Additional comments included: linking the program with employment agencies, expanding skill sets, and feedback stating the tool is already “perfect”.
General Conclusions
The discussions underlined that many shore-based maritime roles (e.g., ship inspection and VTS) require highly specialised knowledge and practical experience typically found among former or active ship officers. At the same time, transitions are strongly influenced by economic and personal factors—especially income differences between sea and shore roles and the geographic location of available jobs.
The SEA4SHORE tool was recognised as valuable for improving visibility of shore-based opportunities and for bridging the information gap. Suggestions for enhancement focused on automation and personalisation, such as integrating AI, geographic filtering, stronger links with employment agencies, and expanding the skill library.
Overall Message: SEA4SHORE was welcomed as a practical and informative tool that supports career mobility. Future enhancements could further strengthen its impact through automation, connectivity, and more personalised job discovery.
Photo Highlights
Selected moments from the SEA4SHORE national event in Rijeka.
