Appendix 3: Environmental Scan 2018-2024 and Beyond

Background

As part of our strategic planning process, Maritime College undertook an environmental scan to survey and interpret relevant external factors and trends in order to determine their effects on and the implications for the College. This environmental scan primarily looked at the period of the strategic plan itself, 2018-2024. However, in some cases, the real changes that will affect our graduates will occur outside this period. Therefore, we looked at trends that will require us to anticipate changes beyond 2024 that the College must address to prepare our graduates for a different industry than the one they enter.

For example, while most industry experts agree that ships and logistics systems will become increasingly automated, autonomous ships and ports may not emerge on a large scale for a decade or two. Therefore, the College needs to both anticipate changes beyond 2024 and respond now to the increasing impact of digitalization, system connectivity, and automation while still preparing students for the current work environment they will enter upon graduation.

This applies to both our license and internship programs. Maritime College needs to be on the cutting edge of every facet of the industries we serve. Our graduates must have the skill sets to succeed in the job market of today and thrive in the industries of tomorrow.

Process

The first step of the environmental scan was to gather information about the world and environments in which Maritime College operates and supports. These include:

  • World Trends

  • Technology

  • Energy

  • Maritime Industry

  • Higher Education

  • Maritime Education and Training (Competitors)