More than 800 middle school, sixth formers, students and graduates attended the inaugural Yachting Student Fair organised by Yacht Club de Monaco in collaboration with the Department of Education, Youth and Sport, and Monaco City Hall. This event which marked the start of the first Monaco, Capital of Advanced Yachting Rendezvous (21-24 March) in collaboration with The Explorers Club of New York aimed to introduce young people to careers in yachting, the maritime sector and exploration by bringing together students, professionals, schools and yachting institutions.
“It is important to help the younger generation grow within our industry. In the yachting sector we need motivated young people. It’s a wonderful industry to work in and it’s important to present it to them because they rarely have direct contact with it,” said Bernard d’Alessandri, YCM Director and General Secretary. “This is a great opportunity to realise how these vocations can help youngsters build paths for life, which I believe is another ambition of this event that I hope will become annual to help achieve this goal,” said H.E. Mr Christophe Mirmand, Minister of State who attended along with Jean-Philippe Vinci, Director of Education, Youth and Sport, Xavier Latour, Vice-President Métropole de Nice Côté d’Azur, Minister of Higher Education, Research, Apprenticeships and Training, and Federico Barbieri, Genova City Counsellor.
Over 20 exhibitors were at the YCM covering various sectors within the industry including yachting, underwater professions, the French Navy, maritime affairs and port-related professions. Specialist schools, training centres, institutions and professionals were on hand to talk about their programmes and career opportunities, from vocational courses to degrees in fields ranging from yachting to naval architecture, boat maintenance, electromechanics and port operations.
YCM’s La Belle Classe Academy training centre presented its modules on the art of service at sea, brokerage and sustainability. Among organisations present were the French Navy, French Maritime Academy (ENSM – École Nationale Supérieure Maritime), the national training centre for underwater operations (École Nationale des Scaphandriers), Lycée Jacques Dolle in Antibes, the European School of Economics (ESE), the Yacht Broker School, Cluster “Yachting Monaco”, Maritime Affairs Department and Monaco’s port authority (SEPM).
As well as the stands, participants had plenty of opportunities to connect with professionals from a wide variety of backgrounds to gain a better understanding of the realities of a sector that embraces navigation, innovation and environmental engagement. They could also visit yachts in the YCM Marina. Patrick Deixonne, navigator and founder of the 7th Continent expedition welcomed students aboard his S/Y 7Continent. From his early days as a firefighter to his expeditions in the Amazon, his experiences showed how a career path can evolve and change over time.
Many students found the experience valuable as it broadened their horizons. “I’m interested in the yachting world in general, especially as I have relatives working in this field. The variety of professions on the stands is very interesting, they cover so many types of job from cooking and cleaning boats to naval engineering and architecture,” said Giovanni, a student.
The Department of Education, Youth and Sport’s higher education division had a stand with information on post-baccalaureate options and financial assistance for further studies.
These encounters were a chance for young people to better understand the realities of different professions and to explore new career avenues in a sector that offers international opportunities and a wide variety of careers. “Over the years we have noticed that many people do not necessarily know what we do or about the main professions linked to the maritime industry in general. We are one small piece in a much bigger puzzle that includes architects, designers and engineers who are working together to design and engineer a vessel before it is built,” explained Espen Øino, naval architect who stressed the complementary nature of all the professions. And he added: “Once a boat is built and in operation there is a whole ecosystem around that as well. It’s the first time the Yacht Club has organised this event and we immediately wanted to be part of it. We want to share our passion for what we do and attract young talent”.
The Yachting Student Fair opened four days focused on exploration, innovation and the environmental transition in yachting, organised by YCM with The Explorers Club, a world-renowned institution for the big expeditions, founded in 1904.
The programme continues with the inauguration of the Explorer Dock tomorrow by Bernard d’Alessandri and Richard Wiese, President of The Explorers Club. Monday, the Day of Exploration gives the floor to 12 international experts. The event concludes on Tuesday 24 March with the 30th Captains’ Forum followed by the 6th YCM Explorer Awards by La Belle Classe Superyachts, which honours projects that use yachts as platforms for exploration, research and innovation.
Through this orientation fair, Yacht Club de Monaco is highlighting the fact that the future of yachting relies on transmission, training and engaging with new generations.
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