On December 12, 2022, NYK seafarers gave a presentation about work and life on an oceangoing vessel to a group at Yokohama Municipal Yokodai Daiichi Elementary School. And on December 15, a similar presentation was provided to students at Yokohama Municipal Eda Minami Junior High School.
Yokodai Daiichi Elementary School examines numerous careers to help its students learn about various occupations and examines jobs that the students may potentially like to pursue in the future. At this school, an NYK navigator gave a presentation to 98 sixth-grade students on the maritime industry and work in the shipping industry.
One student commented, “It was cool that they support our lives.” Another student said, “It was educational to know that they work while communicating in English with people from other countries.”
At Eda Minami Junior High School, career guidance is provided to help students realize potential future paths and achieve independence. This school invites people and leaders who are active in various jobs to talk about their dreams, joys, and the hardships of working, so that the youths can have the opportunity to think deeply about their future paths.
In a presentation to 12 students in their first year of junior high, NYK seafarers demonstrated how to disassemble and assemble an engine. The students were also given the opportunity to engage in ship-maneuvering using a ship-maneuvering simulator. One student commented, “I am now interested in seamanship.” Another student said, “I learnt the importance of cross-cultural communication.”
In recent years, despite increasing demand for seafarers in the world’s ocean shipping industry, Japan’s younger generation doesn’t have much awareness of the jobs of seafarers. In fact, the country currently has only 2,200 active oceangoing seafarers.
In response, NYK implemented the NYK Mirai Project a number of years ago to help the younger generation gain a closer affinity to ships and possibly consider a seafaring life as a potential future career option. Cooperation with Yokodai Daiichi Elementary School and Eda Minami Junior High School is part of this initiative.
Photo credit: NYK/ Presentation at Yokodai Daiichi Elementary School.
