Navigating Youth Employment in the Blue Economy - Highlights

The Turning Blue project held its second EU webinar, “Navigating Youth Employment in the Blue Economy”, on 18th June 2026.
 
Building on the structured pathways explored in the first webinar, this session hosted partners from the maritime shipping industry to justice and probation services to employment and mentorship practitioners, a diverse group bound by one shared goal: helping young people turn opportunity into a sustainable career, through the development of a job-matching platform connecting justice-involved youth with blue economy employers, and a mentoring programme to help them overcome the harder challenge - building a long-lasting career.

Expert Insight: A voice from the industry
 
In this webinar, Marvin Bielek, a former navigation officer himself, now channels that experience into training young people, both at Mintra where he develops navigation courses, and as a board member of YoungShip Cyprus, an organisation that gives a voice to the young generation of shipping professionals.
 
Founded in 2012, YoungShip Cyprus brings together young professionals up to the age of 40 working across the wider shipping field, and is built around three main goals: communication, education, and initiative. In practice, this means networking opportunities to find mentors, collaborations with universities and stakeholders to support training, and lighter activities open to members, such as social events and sports.
 
He highlighted that, with an aging workforce, the industry is facing a green and a digital transformation, both bringing with them uncertainty and risks, from regulatory pressure to cybersecurity threats. When asked whether his organisation's tools could also support young people with limited literacy or a background in the justice system, Marvin Bielek confirmed that their approach - built on flexibility rather than screening - leaves room for everyone.

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Project Results: From Job Search to Long-Term Support
 
João Melo, from Aproximar, presented the Turning Blue job-matching platform, which links the blue economy with the justice system, with the purpose of giving young people who are deprived of liberty a chance to find job opportunities after their release. By accessing it, people can find available jobs and educational support. Given that young people in prison don't have access to the internet, professionals working in the justice system can create profiles on their behalf, while professionals in the blue economy field post job opportunities directly - turning a second chance into a real, tangible opportunity.
 
Cor Blonk, from the Pelagic Freezer Trawler Association, shared how the Turning Blue mentoring guide supports those who work with vulnerable young people, such as mentors, supervisors, trainers, and many more, by providing practical guidance, structure, and communication approaches. He described mentoring as a journey, offering a direction and embracing the idea of a second chance. As he explained, the blue economy's structured, disciplined environment, with clear routines and visible results, makes it especially well suited for reintegration. His key message was centered on the idea that a mentor is more than a supervisor – they are a role model, a source of stability, helping build trust, develop skills, boost self-confidence, and prepare young people for the future, long after they've found a job.

What's Next for Turning Blue
 
Looking ahead, two key moments mark the final stretch of Turning Blue:

• Final Conference (June 26, 2026): Held near Lisbon, where the project's consolidated results and future roadmap will be presented.
• Project Conclusion (August 31, 2026): Turning Blue officially comes to an end, though its impact is built to last — the job-matching platform and the mentoring guide remain freely available, continuing to support justice-involved youth and the professionals working alongside them.