Work in the Shipyard – Labor Market Challenges and the Future of Employment in the Shipbuilding Industry

Working in a shipyard is a career with a future, yet Poland’s shipbuilding industry is facing an increasingly serious challenge in recruiting skilled workers. There is a shortage of welders, hull assemblers, steel structure assemblers, and other specialists essential to building and repairing ships. How can young people be encouraged to choose shipyard trades? What can be done to ensure experienced professionals stay in Poland? These issues were discussed by industry representatives during the 6th Maritime Economy Cruise, which was also attended by Artur Nastkiewicz, CEO of Naviretech.

The GospodarkaMorska.pl portal published an article entitled “Shipyards are looking for workers. Restoring awareness of the profession”, focusing on staffing challenges in Poland’s shipbuilding industry. The publication presents the perspectives of employers, experts, and representatives of institutions involved in vocational education.

Read the full article on the GospodarkaMorska.pl portal

Working in a shipyard – why is there a shortage of skilled workers?

Poland’s shipbuilding industry needs specialists with both technical knowledge and practical skills. Production workers are particularly sought after, as their experience directly affects the quality and timely delivery of shipbuilding projects.

Occupations essential to the operation of modern shipyards include:

• Welders – responsible for welding steel structures and ship components.

• Ship hull assemblers – responsible for assembling ship sections and structural components.

• Steel structure assemblers – carrying out work involved in preparing and assembling structures used in the maritime industry.

• Ship piping assemblers – responsible for installing piping systems aboard vessels.

• Naval engineers – involved in designing, organizing, and supervising shipbuilding and repair processes.

The shortage of skilled workers stems from many factors, including limited access to vocational education, competition from foreign employers, and changing expectations among job seekers.

Another significant problem is that younger generations have insufficient knowledge of the opportunities offered by modern shipyard work.

Artur Nastkiewicz, CEO of Naviretech, on labor market challenges

Artur Nastkiewicz also spoke during a debate on the future of employment in the shipbuilding industry. Artur Nastkiewicz, CEO of Naviretech.

In his remarks, he used the metaphor of a drought, pointing out that the labor market’s problem is not only an insufficient influx of new workers, but also the difficulty of retaining them.

This is an important observation from the perspective of companies carrying out shipbuilding and shipyard repair projects.

Simply recruiting new specialists is not enough to ensure the industry’s stable development. It is equally important to create conditions that support long-term cooperation, the acquisition of additional qualifications, and career development.

Shipyard companies are now competing for workers not only with one another, but also with the energy sector, the offshore industry, and foreign manufacturing plants.

The future of Poland’s shipbuilding industry therefore depends both on effective vocational education and on employers’ ability to create attractive workplaces.

Modern shipyard work – opportunities for career development

Working in a shipyard today is significantly different from the stereotypical image of the shipbuilding industry several decades ago.

Technological advances, the automation of production processes, and rising quality requirements mean the industry needs specialists with increasingly diverse skills.

Working on the construction of ships and vessels can mean taking part in technologically advanced projects, gaining experience in an international environment, and developing specialist skills.

Transparent career paths, access to training, and the opportunity to obtain additional professional qualifications are also important in making these jobs attractive.

People considering a career in the maritime industry should therefore learn about the actual employment conditions and prospects offered by shipbuilding companies.

Shipyard work in Poland and abroad – employment opportunities at Naviretech

Since 2013, Naviretech has been carrying out projects involving shipbuilding, steel structures, and repairs to vessels.

Our operations include projects carried out in Poland, France and Germany. We work with qualified specialists from various technical fields whose expertise is crucial to the delivery of shipyard projects.

We recruit for jobs in the shipbuilding industry, seeking, among others, welders, hull fitters, steel structure fitters and ship piping fitters.

Those interested in employment can find information about the individual specializations here:

• Shipyard jobs – employment opportunities at Naviretech

• Welder jobs

• Hull fitter jobs

• Structural fitter jobs

• Ship piping fitter jobs

Shipyard work in Poland or abroad can be an interesting career path both for experienced professionals and for people planning to build their future in the shipbuilding industry.

The future of shipyard work depends on cooperation across the industry

The debate during the 6th Cruise with Maritime Economy showed that addressing staffing problems requires the involvement of many different groups.

Vocational schools, technical universities, shipbuilding companies and industry institutions should work together to promote technical professions and develop the skills of future employees.

It is equally important to raise awareness that Poland’s shipbuilding industry is still growing, delivering demanding projects and offering employment opportunities across many specializations.

We encourage you to read the article published on GospodarkaMorska.pl, which takes a closer look at labour market challenges, the views of representatives of Poland’s largest shipyards and the perspective of Naviretech CEO Artur Nastkiewicz.

Shipyards are looking for workers. “Restore awareness of the profession” – read the article on GospodarkaMorska.pl

Source: GospodarkaMorska.pl, Artur Kiełbasiński, “Shipyards are looking for workers. Restore awareness of the profession”, 17 October 2026.