Edmiston and UKSA partner to launch the Edmiston Foundation & Inclusivity Programme

As part of #MaritimeUKWeek, @UKsaSailing and @EdmistonCompany are today (15 Oct) launching a new inclusivity programme for 1,800 disadvantaged young people to get into the superyacht industry. 

Edmiston and the UKSA are pleased to announce an important collaboration between Edmiston, one of the world’s leading yachting companies, and the UKSA, the leading maritime training organisation. The Edmiston Foundation has been established to address diversity within the Superyacht industry; specifically providing young people, especially those in the most underrepresented and disadvantaged groups, the opportunity to forge a career within the maritime industry.

Young men and women from minority communities and low socio-economic groups, particularly those living in inner-city areas, are less likely to participate in outdoor and maritime activities, and this inevitably has a knock-on effect in terms of the representation of people from these groups working in the maritime industry.

Edmiston & Company has provided an initial endowment of £120,000 to deliver training and education opportunities devised and run by the UKSA for more than 200 young people per year. The five-year goal is to raise £ 1 million and see 1,200 young people from around the globe complete the course and find a career in the maritime sector.

Activity will commence in October 2020 when the initial selection of students will attend an 5-day UKSA Sea Change Foundation course, offering introduction to and practical learning in relation to future careers in Maritime. Students will also have the opportunity to apply for places on the Edmiston Superyacht Crew Training Programme to be delivered in Spring 2021. This bespoke careers training programme, created and delivered by UKSA for Edmiston will mirror the standard 3-week Crew Training Course but with additional modules including industry familiarisation, cultural integration and career development, expanding it to a 5-week programme in total.

Jamie Edmiston, Chief Executive of Edmiston and Company commented,

“it is my hope that this new initiative will deliver opportunities to young people from all walks of life, ultimately leading to a fulfilling career at sea or within the maritime industry. We intend to proactively remove barriers and provide accessible opportunities to young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and support them throughout their career journey”. He continued by saying “This is the first small step, and I hope that in due course we can widen this initiative and help young people forge careers in the wider yachting industry – as designers, engineers, yacht brokers or senior officers on board yachts”.

Ben Willows, Chief Executive of the UKSA adds,

“the UKSA welcomes more than 10,000 young people every year onto water-based careers and activity programmes. Through this work, we have practical experience in delivering educational courses to help enhance our students’ life skills whilst creating concrete paths into maritime employment. This exciting collaboration with Edmiston means together we can deliver a significant impact in providing these opportunities to deserving young people whilst driving a meaningful cultural change to improve diversity in the maritime sector.”

The Edmiston Foundation formed in 2020 will focus on two distinct initiatives:

1. Employment opportunities for young people within the maritime sector, and
2. Environmental initiatives, specifically relating to the Ocean. The Foundation aims to partner with leaders in their respective fields, supporting these initiatives via fundraising and wider awareness.