Neath Port Talbot LNP delivered three Marine Resilience Challenge Fund projects in 2025-26 with Sea Ranger Service, each focusing on different elements of a wider piece of work. The three projects received a combined total of £38,000 funding.

The aim of the projects was to introduce young people in South Wales to careers in marine restoration, conservation and offshore energy. Working alongside Pelagos, Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum and a range of regional partners, the project combined career-pathway development with the localisation of fieldwork and seafaring training.

Together, these activities addressed different stages of the same journey: identifying the barriers that prevent young people from entering the maritime sector, strengthening the training available to them, and preparing participants to work responsibly within Welsh coastal and marine environments.

Understanding the barriers to maritime careers
The project began by bringing together industry representatives, public bodies, education providers, non-governmental organisations and young people at an interactive workshop at Swansea Observatory. Participants explored the structural barriers experienced by disadvantaged local young people seeking to enter the growing blue economy.

Sea Ranger alumni and a representative from Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum shared first-hand experiences of the challenges facing new entrants. Participants then took part in practical exercises in which they mapped the existing sector and began co-designing a regional blue-economy career pathway. Employers also shared examples of how organisations could make roles more accessible.

The discussions identified several persistent obstacles, including an over-reliance on degrees for entry-level roles, limited parental support, competition for opportunities, driving licence requirements and negative perceptions of the sector. The workshop involved 18 organisations and highlighted the need for a continuing working group to maintain progress as the industry develops. Participants included the Welsh Government, Neath Port Talbot Council, Natural Resources Wales, Swansea University, local young people, education providers and voluntary-sector organisations.

The initial career-pathway map created through the workshop gives stakeholders a shared picture of possible entry routes. Pelagos is also drafting formal advice for Welsh Government based on the findings, while Sea Ranger Service is exploring how its training programme could develop into a dedicated offshore Welsh apprenticeship.

As Sea Ranger alumna Naomi Roesner explained: “The event today was amazing and really inspiring. It’s really exciting to see so many people who are invested in trying to make a positive change and new creative ways of working to support future people to get into the maritime sector.”

Creating a Welsh pathway into ecological restoration
Alongside the career-pathway work, the Sea Ranger Service enhanced its fieldwork curriculum to reflect Welsh marine ecology, habitats, restoration priorities and regulatory contexts. The previous curriculum was based on a Dutch model. Although technically strong, it did not provide the Welsh ecological and geographical knowledge required for a locally rooted vocational pathway.

Between January and March 2026, the curriculum was translated and localised, mapped against standards set by the European Chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration, and strengthened through contributions from local stakeholders. The work confirmed that the programme currently covers approximately one-third of the credits required for the internationally recognised Certified Ecological Restoration Practitioner-in-Training designation. It also produced new Welsh chapters, a Trainer Resource Pack and a delivery plan for future cohorts.

This element of the project seeks to create a non-academic bridge into professional restoration careers for practical learners. Neath Port Talbot Local Nature Partnership, the University of Groningen and Sea Ranger alumni contributed to the development and review of the materials, helping to ensure that the content is locally accurate, ecologically relevant and accessible.

Training conscious offshore professionals
The third strand strengthened the Sea Ranger seafaring curriculum. With Port Talbot identified as a major Floating Offshore Wind hub for the Celtic Sea, the project recognised the importance of ensuring that local young people can gain offshore skills while understanding the environments in which they will work.

The revised curriculum integrates learning about Welsh marine species, habitats, environmental pressures, offshore infrastructure and biosecurity. A Safe Ecological Conduct Workshop was developed to help Sea Rangers understand cumulative human impacts and behave responsibly aboard vessels. The project also produced a Trainer Resource Pack and a maintenance protocol so that the content can remain relevant as the Welsh offshore energy landscape evolves.

Wild Seas Wales and Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum contributed specialist knowledge, while Sea Ranger alumni helped ensure that the modules remained practical and engaging. One-to-one consultation sessions were used to gather expert input without creating partner-engagement fatigue, and examples from previous offshore assignments helped keep the materials grounded in practice.

Connecting opportunity, skills and stewardship
The combined project demonstrates that inclusive economic development requires more than creating jobs. Young people also need visible entry routes, accessible training and the ecological knowledge to work responsibly in marine environments.

The project is building foundations for a workforce that can contribute to both nature recovery and the sustainable growth of offshore energy. Its long-term ambition is to enable Welsh young people not only to work in emerging maritime industries, but to help protect and restore the coast that supports them.