Energy and Power Awards 2021

4 | Energy & Power Awards 2021 promoting diversity in predominantly male- dominated industries. The maritime industry included. “At the end of the day, Seaworthy Consulting is a woman-owned business in an industry driven by men. I am thirty-two years old and have built a reputation dealing with large international corporations that demand excellence. The industry needs more women. It needs more people with mental disabilities and more diversity in general, for someone to stand on a platform and be comfortable to say, “I have dyslexia, and I own this business.” All in all, Seaworthy Consulting has become a pacesetter in an industry with unique needs and high standards. Driven by transparency and client-centricity, it is a clear leader in the maritime recruitment arena. Company: Seaworthy Consulting Name: Noor Kimit Award title: Best International Maritime Recruitment SME 2021 Website: www.seaworthyconsulting.com Telephone: 0161 870 6686 Recruitment is a highly competitive sphere. Securing enduring success in the industry relies on dynamism, a honed expertise and an understanding of a client’s needs. An understanding of, simply, people. Following its well-deserved recognition in the programme, we spoke with Noor Kimit, Owner of Seaworthy Consulting, about her experiences working in the maritime recruitment sphere, the challenges she has overcome, and her advocacy for raising skill shortage awareness. When it comes to maritime recruitment, Seaworthy Consulting has forged an almost peerless reputation through a people-centric, transparent and experienced approach. From the outset, Noor makes it clear that transparency was really the crux of Seaworthy’s establishment, an essential foundation on which everything else was built. “I set Seaworthy up as an honest presence in the industry. We’re honest about everything up front, we’re transparent with our abilities and costs. We believe in offering a high level of service at a reasonable price.” Working in such a niche sub-industry – though an industry in high demand – Noor and the team at Seaworthy have nurtured a client base that trusts their ability to fulfil their recruitment needs. “While the maritime industry is huge, we specifically concentrate on the Workboat, Science and Survey, Oil and Gas and Renewable’s Sectors. We cater to a very narrow market, with specific clients we work with frequently. “We’re a small team, though we understand that the recruitment sector and the maritime industry demands a certain availability to do the job. We work outside of hours and take pride of being ‘reachable’ whenever we’re needed. We also work with people, and understand that unexpected things happen.” Partway through the interview, the discussion turns to the impact of Brexit and COVID-19 on the maritime industry – which, of course, was staggering. However, this is where Noor’s incredible work ethos comes to the fore, highlighted against the backdrop of uncertainty and immense challenge. “First and foremost, Seaworthy depends entirely on freedom of travel. When COVID became a global pandemic, when all of the airports and docks were shut down, we found ourselves on a recovery mission. We were in talks with governmental bodies to get Best International Maritime Recruitment SME 2021 people back home. We have a duty of care for the Seafarers that work for us or are in contact with us, which came first. That must always come first. “Logistically, it was a challenge. We work with all sorts of nationalities, so it became an issue of navigating the various procedures and processes that each country had hastily initiated in the wake of the unprecedented. The team had to adapt. We worked around the clock, worked harder. We believe strongly about the duty of care we have with the people we work with. Mental wellbeing and safety came first. That was it. Nothing else mattered.” Brexit, too, presented its own set of challenges both before and during the pandemic. Indeed, these problems are still very much present, and will be for some time to come. For Noor, it is crucial that the government makes efforts to tackle the skill shortage that is evident in the wake of Brexit in the maritime industry. “The workboat sector really depends on people working back and forth between the UK and Europe. We now have a skill shortage in the sector that was specifically fulfilled by European workers. “So, I am currently working to tackle this issue, and raise awareness in training centres and charities, including The Prince’s Trust. We desperately need to train young British individuals to become the next generation of skilled seafarers. We need to bring more people into the industry. I had no knowledge of the maritime industry. My background was in fashion, and I grew up in a city, far from the ocean. I stumbled into it almost by accident. There are many individuals – who are city bound like I was – who don’t even consider a career in maritime. That needs to be discussed and awareness needs to be raised – that’s something I am very passionate about.” Noor’s passions don’t end there. She is open about her dyslexia and is an advocate for Oct21095