The International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) recently launched the IMCA Next Generation Network, a member-led network that will support the development of early career professionals.
Designed to strengthen development pathways for junior workers in the marine construction sector, the new global community forms a central pillar of IMCA’s strategic focus on people, competency, and skills.
It will also support the offshore industry to raise awareness of the growing range of career opportunities in marine construction.
The IMCA Next Generation Network will provide a forum for early-career professionals to develop their careers, connect with peers and industry leaders, and shape the future of the marine contracting sector through innovation and collaboration, with activities structured around three core pillars:
- Inspire: Raising awareness of offshore careers among students, educators, and early-career professionals.
- Connect: Building a global peer community through events, digital forums, and engagement with IMCA committees.
- Develop: Providing mentoring, technical insight sessions, and access to IMCA’s competence and training resources.
“Developing the next generation of offshore professionals is essential to the long-term resilience of our industry,” said Iain Granger, IMCA’s chief executive.
“The Next Generation Network reflects our commitment to supporting members with practical initiatives that strengthen skills, enhance capability, and create clearer pathways into offshore careers. We look forward to working with the global IMCA community to build a workforce that is ready for the opportunities and challenges ahead.”
“Early career professionals are telling us very clearly what they need: guidance, visibility, skills, and connection,” said Lou Bendall, IMCA People Director. “This network will be built around those needs and will be designed with our junior members, not for them.”
Employment trends in the offshore energy sector, which is undergoing significant transformation as markets expand, digital systems mature, and operational demands increase, will require new technical skill sets, broader multidisciplinary capability, and strong leadership at all levels. “The marine construction industry is changing fast; we cannot meet tomorrow’s challenges without investing in the people who will lead it,” said Jamie Chesnutt, IMCA COO. Early-career professionals who work for IMCA member companies have been invited to join the network.
Members who are later in their careers can nominate early-career colleagues, participate as mentors, and contribute to outreach initiatives across universities, schools, and training providers.
IMCA will profile the work of its Next Generation Network at events this year, including at the IMCA Global Summit 2026, October 28-29 in Antwerp, Belgium.
More info www.imca-int.com
