Training must develop talent and not simply deliver qualifications, says OneLearn

As this week’s Seatrade Maritime Crew Connect Global conference in Manila has highlighted, an officer shortage is looming, making retention of experienced seafarers every bit as important as recruiting new ones.

Structured development is what gives crew a reason to stay, according to Capt. Sundeep Sequeira (pictured, right), a former seafarer and now Managing Director of OneLearn Global, the maritime learning experience platform within OneCare Group. He says training providers have a clearly defined role in the workforce challenge.
“Attraction brings people in. Retention is where training earns its place,” he says. “Our responsibility is to make sure the talent the industry has worked hard to attract is given every chance to succeed, and a reason to stay.”

Capt. Sequeira argues that regulation sets the floor, not the ceiling. “STCW defines a minimum standard. A certificate of competency confirms the baseline, but ships, cargoes and fuels are far more diverse than that. The ISM Code already expects continual improvement. Providers like OneLearn bridge the gap between where regulation was last set and where the industry already operates. Alternative fuels are a clear example.”

For example, OneLearn Global earlier this year teamed with the Singapore Shipping Association (SSA) to develop an AI-powered Transformational Learning Hub (T-Learning Hub) for SSA’s training department, signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to that effect at the 2026 Singapore Maritime Week (pictured).

Training delivery has moved from 16mm film to mobile devices, and Capt. Sequeira believes content design must keep pace. “The industry suffers from viewer fatigue, caused by the same material being recycled for years. Our entire library was produced in the last five years for a younger generation of seafarers. Microlearning reinforces PPE, hazards and best practice just before a task, and deeper courses build understanding when time allows.”

OneLearn’s platform also connects people. “We create moderated, company-only communities where officers, superintendents and fleet managers share experience. Knowledge that once stayed on one ship becomes available to the whole fleet.”

Gamification, he adds, gives employers something increasingly valuable. “It provides a transparent, criteria-based view of who is performing and who is ready for the next step. That supports fair promotion decisions and gives seafarers the career visibility they are asking for.”

Capt. Sequeira is clear that technology accelerates learning, not experience. “You cannot mass-produce skill, any more than you can fast-track a surgeon. Our role is to make sure seafarers are fully supported while they build it. The best things in life don’t happen fast.”