MARPRO and Mercy Ships Denmark join forces to recruit maritime volunteers

In an inspiring development, the NGO Mercy Ships Denmark, which owns the world’s biggest civilian hospital ships, and the maritime recruitment company MARPRO have joined forces to boost their recruitment efforts. This collaboration comes as Mercy Ships prepares to deploy its two vessels, the Global Mercy and Africa Mercy, simultaneously in 2024, creating the world’s largest fleet of civilian hospital ships. With both ships in operation, the demand for technical and maritime volunteers is set to soar.

This expansion allows Mercy Ships to extend its humanitarian reach like never before, providing aid to more people in need. However, it also poses a significant challenge in terms of staffing, as both vessels rely on dedicated volunteers with professional expertise.

The MARPRO Group and Mercy Ships Denmark are delighted to announce their partnership, as MARPRO has cultivated an extensive network within the maritime industry and is known for connecting maritime companies with highly qualified professionals from around the world.

Vibeke Hauge Førrisdahl, the National Director of Mercy Ships Denmark, explains the importance of this collaboration: “It is necessary for our work that we can man our ships with the necessary technical and maritime personnel. So far, recruitment in Denmark has primarily taken place via social media, but we need to strengthen our efforts if we want to fill all positions on board in the coming years.”

“Volunteering is part of Mercy Ships’ DNA, and in total around 3,000 volunteers will be needed per year when both ships are in action. A significant portion of these volunteers are needed in maritime roles. There is a high demand for chief engineers, but we have all kinds of maritime crew ranging from captains to deckhands and other technical staff on board our floating community. There are many functions and positions that need to be filled, and therefore it is a huge gift that the top professional maritime recruitment company MARPRO will now help us with the recruitment through marketing,” she adds.

Jakob, Managing Director & Founder of MARPRO, also sees great potential in this partnership:

“Mercy Ships is one of the few large and reputable NGOs in the maritime industry. They have transformed a former Danish ferry into a unique organization that provides professional medical expertise to individuals who would otherwise have no access to such care. It’s a source of great pride for us that they have secured funding to build an entirely new hospital ship, expanding their operations. As a responsible company with a strong social profile, we consider it our duty at MARPRO to offer assistance where it makes sense. Given our specialization in maritime recruitment, it was natural for us to approach Mercy Ships with the intention of forming a close collaboration. We are immensely proud that Mercy Ships recognizes the value of our services, and we look forward to raising awareness about Mercy Ships and helping the organization attract qualified candidates for both sea and land-based positions.”

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