Facing a critical shortage of skilled maritime professionals, stakeholders engaged in the maritime industry are raising awareness of maritime career opportunities. The Piraeus office of International Registries, Inc. (IRI) has taken advantage of regional opportunities to support these efforts. In the first six months of 2025, Fleet Operations Manager Captain Theodore Lalas and Deputy Fleet Operations Manager Captain John Sideris participated in nine student focused events across the Eastern Mediterranean. Collaborating with academic institutions and other companies to showcase the variety of future-forward career opportunities in shipping and marine transportation, Captain Sideris and Captain Lalas have connected with thousands of students and cadets.
“Our industry has undergone a significant transition, and we need the next generation of maritime professionals to see how innovative we are,” noted Theo Xenakoudis, Chief Commercial Officer and Managing Director, Piraeus. “We have more variety of careers and opportunities than ever before – from artificial intelligence to decarbonization to compliance and regulatory – there’s a lot of opportunity for young people.”
Fueling the ambitions and excitement of the next generation of maritime leaders, Captain Lalas often speaks to students about the role of the flag State and port State control inspections and highlights the importance of a culture of safety and compliance. He has participated in academic seminars and events throughout the region, including events at Athens University of Economics and Business, ALBA University, and collaborated with Isalos on events at the Merchant Marine Academies of Macedonia and Kefalonia, and an event in Athens which included students from multiple marine academies. This year he has also spoken at industry events such as the Chartworld Tankers’ Crew Seminar in Tbilisi, the collaborative Chartworld Shipping Corporation & Charterwell Maritime SA conference with Aegean University held in Chios, and the 2nd Chios International Shipping Summit in June. Captain Sideris participated in a Merchant Marine Academy of Aspropyrgos event hosted by Isalos, which welcomed more than 1,000 students and 32 companies across two days for panels, exchange, and workshops.
“Connecting with students is empowering,” said Captain Lalas. “I enjoy sharing with them how exciting and ever-changing careers in the maritime industry can be. Most students haven’t really considered the wide variety of careers and technical opportunities this global industry offers,” he concluded.
Supporting educational opportunities is not new for IRI. Globally, team members connect with students to educate and increase awareness about the industry, career opportunities, and the challenges of the future. Through training workshops, seminars, internships, museum programs, and more, the IRI team aims to support the development of the future maritime workforce.
