From pilot to proven model: ShippingLab’s Maritime Student Rotation Programme ready to be scaled

Recruiting young talent in the maritime sector is becoming increasingly competitive. At the same time, many students with strong technical and analytical skills have not yet discovered the opportunities within Blue Denmark – or committed to a specific career path.

The Maritime Student Rotation Programme, initiated and coordinated by ShippingLab, is designed to address both challenges through a shared, sector-based approach. After two years of pilot experience, the model has proven its value and is now ready to be scaled to include more companies and disciplines.

Three companies, three students, shared value

Over the past two years, DFDS, Everllence and Knud E. Hansen have participated in a structured rotation programme, sharing three university students between them. Each student has been employed as a regular student assistant and rotated between the companies in periods of 8 to 12 months.

For the participating companies, the outcome has gone beyond access to additional student resources. The programme has also strengthened recruitment pipelines and increased the likelihood that talented students remain within the maritime sector after graduation.

As one of the participating companies points out, the rotation model opens the door to a broader and stronger talent pool than traditional student recruitment:

“The programme reaches students we would otherwise never have met. The applicant field was so strong that it was genuinely difficult to choose,” says Philip Holt, Manager, Marine Project Engineering, Everllence.

For the companies involved, the rotation model has made it possible to assess several potential future employees over time, while at the same time benefiting from students who quickly become productive in their roles.

A broader perspective and a stronger recruitment pipeline

Companies participating in the programme report that students contribute from an early stage. Because the students rotate between organisations, they bring with them knowledge, methods and perspectives from previous placements.

At DFDS, this combination of academic skills and practical adaptability has proven particularly valuable:

“We get highly capable and curious students who contribute to analysis, strategy and development tasks. It fits perfectly with our work,” says Cecilie Damgaard Jensen, Decarbonization Analyst, DFDS.

This cross-company exposure strengthens the students’ understanding of the maritime value chain and increases their ability to operate across disciplines and organisational contexts.

“The students truly get an understanding of the maritime value chain. It makes them a much stronger fit – both technically and commercially,” says Frederik Jonassen, Senior Mechanical Engineer, Knud E. Hansen.

Another key strength of the programme is its ability to reach students who would not typically apply for a maritime student job – including highly capable candidates who might otherwise look elsewhere.

“We normally struggle to attract candidates to our ship-technical area. The programme really makes a difference,” says Philip Holt, Manager, Marine Project Engineering, Everllence.

By offering a structured rotation rather than a single placement, companies gain access to a broader and stronger talent pool. Several participants see clear potential for hiring students after graduation, making the programme a concrete recruitment pipeline rather than a standalone initiative.

Retaining talent within Blue Denmark

The programme does not only benefit individual companies; it strengthens the sector as a whole. Through multiple placements, students gain a realistic and nuanced understanding of maritime careers, which in turn increases their motivation to stay in the industry.

“The rotation gives students enormous learning – both professionally and personally. It definitely strengthens their motivation to stay in the maritime sector,” says Cecilie Damgaard Jensen, Decarbonization Analyst, DFDS.

According to Magnus Gary, Project Director at ShippingLab, this dual focus on quality and reach is a central ambition of the programme:

“We want to attract highly skilled and motivated students and, at the same time, reach those who have not yet chosen a clear career direction. The rotation model gives them concrete experience, insight into the maritime value chain and a professional network – and that combination makes a real difference.”

How the programme works

Instead of relying on traditional student jobs or short-term placements, the Maritime Student Rotation Programme is built as a shared, low-barrier collaboration between companies.

Each student is employed directly by the participating companies on standard student terms. Tasks, learning objectives and working hours are defined locally, ensuring that the student contributes to real, study-relevant work from day one. Over time, the student rotates between companies in periods of 8 to 12 months, gaining exposure to different organisational contexts, technologies and parts of the maritime value chain.

ShippingLab coordinates the overall process – from matching companies and students to aligning expectations, timelines, recruitment and ongoing evaluation. This makes it possible for companies to participate without taking on additional administrative complexity.

“In principle, there are no limitations – geographically or professionally – to which companies and students we can match,” says Magnus Gary, Project Director, ShippingLab.

The flexible setup makes the programme relevant for a wide range of organisations across Blue Denmark, from large companies to specialised SMEs.

Ready for the next rotation cycle

With the pilot phase completed and positive results documented, ShippingLab is now preparing the next rotation cycle and inviting more companies to take part.

The process begins with interested companies expressing their interest and forming rotation chains based on professional profiles and organisational needs. In the spring, ShippingLab leads a targeted outreach and marketing effort towards students, followed by recruitment and matching ahead of the summer.

New rotation cycles are scheduled to begin on 1 September 2026, with students starting their first placement as regular student assistants. Throughout the process, ShippingLab supports both companies and students to ensure continuity, progress and learning across the rotation.

Interested in participating?

ShippingLab coordinates the process and supports companies throughout the programme – making it simple to take part in a shared effort to strengthen recruitment and talent retention in the maritime sector.

The programme is also described in the Maritime Student Rotation Programme flyer.

For more information or to join the next rotation cycle, please reach out to Magnus Gary.