Imagine Marine Conference 2025

The Canadian Marine Careers Foundation is pleased to announce that the Imagine Marine Conference will return for its second year on October 7 & 8, 2025, in Ottawa, Ontario, uniting leaders from the public and private sector to address workforce and skills challenges in the marine transportation sector. Following a successful first year that brought together 160 industry stakeholders from across the country, Imagine Marine Conference 2025 will build on this momentum under the theme Solutions & Actions: Building Our Future Marine Workforce. This event will provide opportunities to learn, contribute to and guide the development of strategies that will shape the marine transportation workforce of the future.

Refunds up to 30 days before event. Eventbrite's fee is nonrefundable.

Info: SPONSORED BY THE ST. LAWRENCE SEAWAY MANAGEMENT CORPORATION

Info: This session features industry leaders who have advanced career progression and employee development in the marine sector in Canada. Finding a skills or experience gap in their region or area of business, these organizations have built internal strategies and programs for talent development. They share the challenges and outcomes of the programs and what is needed at a sector level to augment internal workforce development strategies.

Info: SPONSORED BY KOTUG CANADA & HORIZON MARITIME

Info: As the marine sector faces critical labour shortages and an aging workforce, the need to attract, prepare, and retain the next generation has never been more urgent. This session will explore innovative programs, outreach strategies, and workforce development tools that are successfully connecting young people with marine careers. From immersive education initiatives and digital engagement platforms to partnerships with schools, Indigenous communities, and youth organizations, participants will gain practical insights into what works—and why. Join industry leaders, educators, and workforce strategists as they share best practices and discuss scalable solutions to ensure the future vitality of Canada’s marine sector.

Info: The Canadian marine sector's future hinges on not just attracting but also retaining and advancing diverse talent. This session will provide attendees actionable steps to improve workforce inclusivity, with each speaker coming from a distinct perspective:

• Workforce: Empowering the current workforce to create an inclusive culture through personal agency, fostering belonging and activating allyship.

• Employer: Concrete actions taken by an employer to foster an equitable culture – what worked, challenges and outcomes.

• Employee: Pathways to amplify the leadership and lived experiences of Indigenous women and Two-Spirited people, along with practical frameworks for building equitable recruitment, training, and governance.

Info: SPONSORED BY KOTUG CANADA & HORIZON MARITIME

Info: New training developments that reduce barriers of entry and meet the evolving needs of the marine sector.

Info: SPONSORED BY SHIPPING FEDERATION OF CANADA

Info: Moderator/Presenter: Sylvie Girard, Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) Director General and ICE Pact WG2 Coordinator.
The Icebreaker Collaboration Effort (ICE) Pact between Canada, Finland and the United States has revived interest in the state of the Canadian shipbuilding workforce and in taking stock of the solutions to address workforce recruitment and development challenges. The objective of this presentation is to engage key marine sector stakeholders on the opportunities the ICE Pact presents, the challenges faced by the Canadian shipbuilding industry, and insights into domestic and international initiatives to recruit and develop a skilled shipbuilding workforce.

It will focus on Canadian and international labour market issues; innovative programs in the marine industry; and effective practices and lessons learned.

Info: hese collaborative sessions bring participants together to share knowledge, ideas, and input to help the CMCF and its partners shape new projects and program proposals that support the future of Canada’s marine sector.

More information to come.

Info: Each group provides a short summary of the conclusions/recommendations from their work session.

Host or Publisher Canadian Marine Careers Foundation