CONFERENCE RECAP: WORKFORCE
People, pilots, and progress Building the next-generation workforce
B ehind every container, log ship, and tanker are people: the pilots guiding vessels through narrow channels, the tug operators maneuvering giants into dock, and the stevedores and technicians ensuring goods keep moving safely and efficiently. As global trade evolves and technology advances maritime operations, the B.C. waterfront faces a defining challenge: how to build, train, and sustain a workforce for the future. That challenge — and its opportunities — took centre stage during the “Waterfront Workforce: People and Pilotage” panel, mod- erated by Lindsay Familton, Senior Director of Workforce Operations and Business Excellence at the BC Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA). With a panel featuring Steve Kennedy, President of the BC Coast Pilots (BCCP); Paul Hilder, President of the Council of Marine Carriers (CMC); and Peter Amat, General Manager for Pacific Basin Canada, the discussion revealed an industry under pressure, but also full of promise. Challenges and opportunities on the waterfront Asked about the biggest opportunities and challenges for B.C.’s waterfront workforce, the panelists spoke with a mix of optimism and urgency. For Peter Amat, opportunity lies in B.C.’s natural advan- tages and geographic position. “We’re Canada’s port,” he said, “and while we face political and competitive pressures, our location gives us enormous potential — if we can pull together in the same direction.” That unity, he noted, is essential for restoring global confidence in B.C.’s reliability. “We’ve been through some labour unrest that has given our reputation a bloody nose,” he acknowledged. “We have to earn back the trust of our customers and show them the job we can do.” For Steve Kennedy, the BC Coast Pilots’ challenge is both a blessing and a burden: rapid growth. “There’s nothing happening anywhere else in the country like what’s going on in B.C. right now,” he said. “From increased tanker traffic with Trans Mountain to new LNG and container projects, the B.C. coast is busy.” That growth, however, creates intense pressure on the industry to train and qualify enough pilots. “It takes time,” Kennedy explained. “From exam to full licence, you’re look- ing at more than seven years to fully unlimited. We’re tak- ing experienced mariners from tugs, ferries, and the Coast Guard, and putting them through a rigorous process. Staying ahead of that demand is one of our biggest challenges.”
Paul Hilder’s sector — the tug and barge operators that move 80 percent of goods along B.C.’s coast — faces a dif- ferent but related problem: visibility. “Most people don’t even know our industry exists,” he said. “Unless you live on an island or have a family member in the business, you don’t realize how much of your daily life depends on maritime transportation.” He calls it maritime blindness . “The average person sit- ting on the beach in English Bay doesn’t think about what those ships mean to our economy,” he said. “Attracting new entrants is one thing — but retaining them is even harder.” Recruiting and training for a modern workforce Familton steered the discussion towards how advance- ments in technology is helping to shape the future of train- ing. With a new generation of tech-savvy workers entering the field, how is innovation changing the way mariners are trained and supported? For Kennedy and the BCCP, the embrace of technology has been transformative. “We developed a Personal Pilotage Unit which is a Panasonic Toughpad with a high-accuracy GPS and a ‘rate-of-turn generator’ that interfaces directly with the ship’s systems,” he said. “It gives us real-time preci- sion and allows us to safely handle conditions, like fog in First Narrows, that might have stopped operations in the past.” Equally important is simulation. In partnership with the Pacific Pilotage Authority, the BCCP co-own a full three- bridge simulator facility in downtown Vancouver. “We’ve got the ship bridge and two tug bridges linked together, using the same tugs on which we work with in the harbour,” Kennedy said. “The tug skippers train together with the pilots, so when we’re out there for real, we’re already a team.” For Hilder, simulators have been nothing short of a revolu- tion in the tug and barge world. “Five years ago, simulation was new to us,” he said. “Now it’s a game-changer. You can do a year’s worth of ship landings in an eight-hour session.” That shift, he explained, makes it possible to build skills and confidence without the risk of damaging multi-million- dollar vessels. “We used to throw trainees onto a $20 million tug and hope for the best,” he joked. “Now we can train for failure safely—and that’s how you really learn.” Beyond simulators, Hilder sees promise in AI-driven performance research and competency-based training that could identify ideal candidates earlier. “If you can use AI to assess personality traits and aptitude before years of
40 — PACIFIC PORTS — October/November 2025
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