Establishing a female training program in Egypt 

With more than 4,000 employees in +30 countries, spanning 80 different nationalities, Svitzer is by nature a truly global company. However, being global doesn’t inherently mean being diverse and inclusive.

At present, only about 50 out of Svitzer’s more than 3,500 seafarers are female and in Svitzer’s AMEA region, no female seafarers were employed at the beginning of 2022. To change that, the AMEA leadership team decided to take special actions to create a more diverse workforce and inclusive workplace – including establishing a new female training program in Egypt.  
 
Nicolai Vinther Friis, Managing Director Svitzer AMEA explains: 

“As the world’s leading towage provider and a responsible employer, we have an obligation and a responsibility to promote diversity and inclusion and to support equal opportunities for all. Shipping has historically been a male dominated industry and we therefore need to think differently and take special actions to create a new tradition, where female seafarers are a natural part of our workforce.” 
 
When deciding to improve training opportunities for females by establishing a dedicated training academy, Egypt was chosen as a pilot because of its size and maritime tradition. And it quickly became clear that the demand for training opportunities was high among females. 49 applications were received, 23 were shortlisted for further interviews and 9 female crew members were selected to begin their training on 1 March 2022.  
 
In the video below you can hear some of the key stakeholders of the training program explain the development of the program and its importance.