A Research-Backed Framework for Maritime Retention

The UK maritime industry is currently losing £6.28 million annually to cadet attrition. Each departure costs £11,200-£29,868 in wasted investment. And with cadet numbers lower than ever before, we're walking into a crewing crisis.

Most solutions focus on training individuals or adjusting policies. Working with maritime expert Claire Guy to ensure every element works in real operational environments, I've developed a framework that addresses retention at its source through systematic organisational change.

MREF addresses retention at the source - not through another training program or policy initiative, but through systematic change that actually sticks.

I've spent twelve months developing this with maritime expert Claire Guy, testing it against real operational constraints, real generational conflicts, real organisational dysfunction.

But I'm not publishing case studies yet. I'm not sharing detailed methodologies. I'm not even taking on clients who aren't serious.

The maritime retention crisis isn't about money. It's not really about conditions either.

• It's about the gap between what organisations say they value and how they actually operate. 
• It's about shore management making decisions without understanding shipboard realities. 
• It's about experienced crew and new generations talking past each other instead of building something better together.

MREF fixes that. But not through workshops or consultancy reports.

Because it's not about what we do - it's about how we do it. 

The framework only works when everyone in the organisation is involved in redesigning it. Top-down mandates fail. Generic approaches fail.

This works because it's built for maritime realities, tested against operational constraints, and owned by the people who have to make it work.

MREF isn't ready for general release. Right now, I'm working with a small number of organisations to prove what I already know works.

If you're serious about solving retention rather than just talking about it, we should have a conversation.

The choice is ours. The framework is ready. 

The time is now.