Maritime workforce shortage: Danish maritime industry forced to look abroad
Denmark’s maritime sector is currently grappling with a severe shortage of specialized talent. If growth is to continue, companies must increasingly seek skills beyond national borders. The industry is part of a global competition for expertise—a race Danish firms risk losing if they rely solely on domestic recruitment.
The challenge is clear: there simply aren’t enough qualified professionals in Denmark. For businesses to expand, they need to embrace international hiring.
This is the view of Jakob le Fevre, CEO and owner of maritime recruitment company MARPRO Group.
“Unemployment among experienced maritime professionals in Denmark is virtually zero. There just aren’t enough candidates. If companies want to grow, they must look beyond Denmark,” says Jakob le Fevre.
Growing demand, limited talent pool
Demand for maritime skills is rising sharply. The green transition, new IMO regulations, digitalization, and overall industry growth are creating a constant stream of tasks requiring specialized expertise.
According to le Fevre, Denmark’s talent pool is too small to meet this demand—especially for roles such as technicians, superintendents, operators, and sales professionals with maritime knowledge.
He believes the Danish recruitment market is approaching saturation, and the shortage of skills means companies must increasingly open up to foreign talent.
“When businesses can’t find the profiles they need locally, they have to look abroad. International recruitment is essential to secure the right people,” he explains.
MARPRO Group’s expansion
Since its founding in 2017, MARPRO Group has grown steadily, nearly doubling its business every four years. Today, the company employs 12 people across offices in Helsingør, Helsingborg, Rotterdam, and Hamburg, handling around 60 recruitment assignments per month across Northern Europe.
Looking beyond maritime
When suitable candidates aren’t available in Denmark—or even within the maritime sector—companies may need to recruit from other industries. Skills from logistics, aviation, mechanics, and technology can often be transferred to maritime roles.
“An airport operations environment is very similar to shipping. Planning, safety procedures, and managing time-critical processes can easily translate into maritime functions,” says le Fevre.
Seafarers seeking shore-based roles
Alongside the talent shortage, MARPRO Group sees a growing number of seafarers looking to transition to land-based jobs.
“At some point, most seafarers decide to stop sailing. But they often don’t know where their skills fit ashore,” explains le Fevre.
These profiles are in high demand, so MARPRO invests time in assessing both professional and personal competencies to keep them within the maritime industry.
From navigator to recruitment expert
Jakob le Fevre has a long-standing maritime background. He began his career as a navigator, including time with Maersk, and spent several years at sea before moving ashore to hold commercial and technical roles with suppliers such as Furuno, Amplidan, Becker Marine Systems, and Gertsen & Olufsen.
In 2010, he shifted to recruitment and talent development, first as Managing Partner at Job2Sea and later, in 2013, as founder of MARPRO Group.
His motivation came from personal experience with poor recruitment practices—lack of feedback, insufficient information, and limited understanding of maritime expertise. He believed he could do better.
Today, MARPRO Group continues its strong growth trajectory, serving clients across Northern Europe and managing dozens of active recruitment projects monthly. Le Fevre sees firsthand how the shortage of qualified candidates impacts both small and large players in the industry.
Source: Søfart
