You only have to look out to sea anywhere from the Cumbrian coast to see that the maritime world is changing, writes Nigel Thompson.
Look past the wind turbines at Robin Rigg or Walney to the ferries linking England with Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man, passing deep sea and coastal cargo ships, fishing boats plus the work of the RNLI, independent rescue teams and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and Cumbria’s important place on the maritime map is clear.
As we frequently are proud to report in Business Crack, there’s a lot going on.
The work of the surveying team at HiDef, activity at the ports of Workington, Maryport and Barrow not to mention BAE Systems, James Fisher plus the numerous support services that keep ships at sea are often featured.
Yet how much do we all know about an industry that’s worth £13.8 billion and supports over a quarter of a million jobs across the UK?
My dad was a marine engineer so I guess I was always going to have an interest in the sea and shipping but I’m lucky in making friends with someone who has spent a lifetime gaining experience of running a ferry service across the Irish Sea.
Alistair Eagles spent 15 years as chief executive of Seatruck Ferries linking Ireland with the UK based at Heysham and has previously worked for over a decade in the shipping and logistics sector.
The Full Ahead Podcast is our idea to shine a spotlight on an industry that plays a vital role in the UK.
We’ve already made a dozen episodes featuring ports from Workington to Felixstowe and shared stories from Merseyside to Malmo.
We thought there might be an opportunity to highlight the varied range of work that goes on and you only have to listen to the passion and conviction of those we have spoken to realise we may have hit on something.
As we frequently see with the reaction to Northern Lights, the Business Crack podcast, people in business enjoy sharing their stories.
With podcast listening figures growing, it’s an ideal opportunity to reach a new audience who are hungry for a more in depth conversation, often recorded on location.
With recruitment a growing issue across the industry, the podcast could come at an ideal time to raise the profile of the opportunities on offer.
“I know from personal experience shipping is not always seen as the dynamic industry it actually is,” Alistair said. “It’s never been more important to maintain and develop the sector with new ideas from those who may be unaware of the range of jobs on offer.”
Episode 1 features an interview with Harvey Finney, a chief officer with Caledonian MacBrayne, whose determination to get into the industry began as a teenager applying for work experience at Seatruck. A cadetship and qualification from Fleetwood Nautical College began a career path that earlier this year saw him achieve his masters’ unlimited ticket.
The podcast was also invited to a prestigious shipping summit held last month in Malmo where Alistair was a guest speaker.
“We were able to interview some of the top players in European shipping and produce a five-part series just on the event thanks to the variety of topics being discussed,” Alistair recalled. “From electrically powered ships to ways AI is now welcoming passengers, the event just shows how much is going on in the maritime world.”
We have also featured the industry’s proud regional heritage and innovation too.
We were fortunate to spend a day with the volunteers who look after the Daniel Adamson, a historic steam powered tug which still operates on the River Mersey and Manchester Ship Canal but have also witnessed the first arrival of a revolutionary new ferry on the Irish Sea.
Guests from Mersey Maritime, the world’s oldest ferry service as well as an interview with the owner of possibly the UK’s smallest have already appeared along with a ships’ pilot and maritime lawyer. Future episodes include the makers of the TV series Coastguard, ship builders and the Scottish lighthouse service.
The podcast has already attracted listeners in over 50 countries with an audience that is rapidly growing.
As I am learning, the maritime industry is undergoing big changes as Business Crack keeps charting on a daily basis.
We hope the Full Ahead Podcast will help add more detail and insight to the stories that at the moment are not always told.
Search The Full Ahead Podcast on YouTube, Apple and Spotify.
