DFDS female cadet programme expands to Morocco
DFDS’ female cadet programme Waves of Talent is expanding to the Strait of Gibraltar with a new partnership agreement with the Higher Institute of Maritime Studies (ISEM) in Morocco to increase the representation of women in the shipping industry.
DFDS and the Higher Institute of Maritime Studies (ISEM) located in Casablanca, Morocco, has announced a significant expansion of its diversity and inclusion initiatives within the maritime sector through an new agreement signed this week. The new partnership, celebrated at ISEM's campus in Casablanca on 15 May, is set to introduce the female cadet programme, Waves of Talent.
Following the successful launch in Türkiye, the Waves of Talent programme has shown substantial promise in attracting more women to embark on a maritime career. This partnership enables the successful model to be extended to Morocco, granting local female students unprecedented access to international standard maritime training.
The agreement was signed by Ronny Moriana Glindemann, Managing Director of BU Strait of Gibraltar at DFDS, Gemma Griffin, Vice President and Head of Crewing at DFDS, and Dr. Mohamed Briouig, Director of the Higher Institute of Maritime Studies (ISEM):
“We started this programme because we are determined to play our part in moving the needle when it comes to addressing the gender imbalance in the maritime industry, particularly in Deck & Engine positions. So far, we have managed to increase the number of Deck & Engine female colleagues in DFDS from 4.4% in 2023 to 8.8% in Q1 2024. Furthermore, we reported an increase in female managers across the organization from 16% to 20%, but there is still much to do,” commented Gemma Griffin.
“We have had a longstanding cooperation with the college, so it gives me great pleasure to sign this agreement on behalf of FRS Iberia Maroc / DFDS. We are proud to partner with ISEM on this and on the many other maritime training initiatives that were agreed today,” commented Ronny Moriana.
"This collaboration with FRS Iberia Maroc / DFDS not only supports our mission to enhance the quality and diversity of maritime education but also empowers young Moroccan women to achieve their full potential in this dynamic field," stated Dr. Mohamed Briouig, Director of ISEM.
The programme provides intensive training aboard various vessels within the DFDS fleet. When the training is successfully completed, each cadet will be guaranteed a position onboard a DFDS vessel.
DFDS has an ambition to increase the percentage of female seafarers working in deck and engine departments to 20% by 2030.