The Boating Industry Association (BIA) continues to set records with its Marine Jobs program, which is a key priority for supporting careers in the marine industry. BIA CEO Andrew Fielding announced that since BIA took over the Marine Jobs recruitment platform, there has been a significant increase in engagement, with a 200% rise over the past year and a 57% increase in views on the online recruitment platform.
The Marine Jobs Facebook Group, “Find Your Next Career,” now boasts almost 16,000 members actively seeking employment opportunities across Australia and New Zealand. In the last month alone, 46 roles have been posted, covering various positions in the marine and maritime sectors, including skilled trades and roles in marine tourism.
BIA has expanded its outreach through 30 events across multiple states, engaging over 1,500 young people interested in marine careers and reaching over 15,000 individuals in total. The recent BIA Sydney Boat Show event allowed direct engagement with 600 students interested in marine professions.
The 2026 BIA National Jobs & Skills Survey highlighted pressing workforce challenges within the recreational boating sector, revealing significant opportunities to enhance operational capacities and financial performance through recruitment. Over 90% of marine businesses expressed concern regarding a critical lack of skilled labour.
The immediate demand for technical trade talent is concentrated in core maritime specialisations. Businesses are particularly seeking apprentices in Shipwrights and Boat Builders (38.8%), followed by Marine Mechanics (21.5%) and Marine Trimmers (12.4%). Additionally, there is a growing need for non-trade skilled workers, with 48.2% of businesses looking to hire in this area.
With 71.9% of marine businesses actively recruiting in the past year, the survey has shown that a targeted, multi-channel approach is the most effective for securing the next generation of marine professionals. BIA continues to work with Federal and State Governments to improve the VET sector, advocating for revised apprenticeship syllabuses and promoting skilled migration opportunities.
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