End-of-Year Address – Managing Director, Rob Grimmond
As we close another year, we do so older, wiser, and shaped by both challenges and opportunity. The offshore sector continues to evolve at pace, and 2025 has been a year of momentum and preparation for what lies ahead.
With new development rounds emerging in Taiwan, Japan, the Baltics, and across Europe, opportunities are expanding and so too are expectations. Floating wind, telecommunications, and traditional oil and gas markets are all showing strong indicators of growth from 2026 onwards, reinforcing the need for skilled, adaptable, and well-supported offshore professionals.
We are proud to support both clients and contractors across multiple global markets, ensuring our teams are ready to mobilise, adapt, and perform wherever they are needed. Our focus has always been on quality, capability, and care – values that remain central to everything we do.
Offshore Marine People and Offshore Marine Academy originally joined forces to simplify our offering to the international market. In 2025, however, growing demand across both people supply and training has highlighted the need for renewed focus. As a result, we are moving towards a strategic separation of the two businesses.
Offshore Marine People will remain the trusted partner for the supply of highly qualified and experienced offshore contractors. Our emphasis is not on volume, but on retention, capability, and culture ensuring our people are supported, valued, and well looked after while delivering excellence for our clients. This is not a “bums-on-seats” business; it is about long-term partnerships and sustainable performance.
Offshore Marine Academy will stand independently in 2026, with a clear mission to train the next generation of offshore professionals, upskill those already in the industry, and support skilled individuals transitioning from other sectors where knowledge gaps exist.
This structure will form our baseline for 2026. We move forward committed, engaged, curious, and excited about what the year ahead will bring – for our people, our clients, and our two focused, purpose-driven businesses.
Offshore Marine People & Academy
People Front
In today’s dynamic and fast-moving market, sustained energy, resilience, and persistence remain critical to success, particularly in a people-focused business. Over the past year, we have been reminded that our greatest strength lies not in technology or assets alone, but in the people who continue to drive offshore renewables, oil and gas, and telecommunications forward.
The past year brought both challenges and opportunity as the global energy transition continued to accelerate. Across Europe, the United States, and Asia, offshore development and data connectivity gathered pace. The industry increasingly resembles a complex, moving puzzle – demanding, interconnected, and constantly evolving – where skilled people are the essential pieces that bring projects together.
At Offshore Marine People (OMP), we see 2026 as a year to convert persistence into meaningful progress. Our mission remains clear: to connect exceptional people with meaningful opportunities, while delivering value through integrity, respect, and genuine understanding.
Attracting and retaining talent are the twin pillars on which our future success depends. Competition for skilled professionals continues to intensify, and the ability to engage the next generation, while supporting the experienced workforce that built this industry, has never been more important.
Attraction begins with visibility and inclusion: opening doors to cross-functional talent and demonstrating that offshore industries offer rewarding, long-term, global careers. Retention follows through trust, respect, and culture. People stay where they feel valued, supported, and listened to.
Too often, recruitment is reduced to a transactional process. At OMP, we take a 360-degree, people-first approach. We understand the realities of offshore and onshore work because we live them. As part of an integrated group, spanning experience, services, equipment, and people, we deliver consistency, purpose, and accountability across every engagement.
In 2026, we will continue to invest in our people managers, expand our support teams, and further develop our capability to deliver a 24/7 service rooted in professionalism and care. Just as importantly, we remain committed to fostering a positive, creative, and enjoyable working environment – because happy teams deliver exceptional results!
Academy Front
As we reflect on the year behind us, I am immensely proud of what Offshore Marine Academy (OMA) has achieved and the impact our training continues to have across the offshore marine, renewables, oil and gas, and telecommunications sectors.
This year has been defined by growth, collaboration, and development. We have had the privilege of training client teams, offshore consultants, and contractors from around the globe, supporting them not only in meeting project and compliance requirements, but in building meaningful, long-term careers within the offshore industry. Seeing individuals grow in confidence, capability, and opportunity remains at the heart of everything we do.
Our focus has always been on practical, relevant training delivered by instructors who understand the realities of offshore life. The success of our programmes throughout the year reflects the trust our clients place in us and the commitment of those who invest in their own development. Whether supporting experienced professionals or those entering the industry for the first time, OMA remains committed to delivering training that adds real, measurable value – on site, offshore, and beyond.
Looking ahead, we are excited about the next phase of the Academy’s evolution. We are actively expanding our online training capability and developing a broader range of courses delivered by experienced instructors in a flexible, “learn-at-your-pace” format. This approach will allow individuals and organisations to access high-quality training when and where it suits them, while building a stronger, more comprehensive course offering to support the industry’s evolving needs.
In parallel, we are restructuring and refining our 12-month apprenticeship-style programme for those new to the offshore sector. This initiative will return in the near future with a renewed emphasis on structured learning, mentorship, and real-world exposure – creating clearer, more accessible pathways for the next generation of offshore professionals.
As we move toward 2026, OMA will stand independently in its focus and commitment to the industry. Our mission is clear: to remain a trusted training partner, fully dedicated to developing people, skills, and careers across the offshore marine sector.
Offshore Culture, Wellbeing, and the Road Ahead
International collaboration continues to shape our industry, requiring contractors and teams to operate seamlessly across borders, time zones, and cultures. While this global environment brings opportunity and enrichment, it also presents real challenges – long travel schedules, time away from home, cultural differences, and sustained pressure. These realities test not only our technical capability, but our resilience and wellbeing.
Our #UnwindYourMind mental health initiative remains central to who we are. In 2025, we have continued to raise awareness, encourage open and honest conversations, and strengthen our focus on both physical and psychological safety. Work-life balance is no longer a “nice to have”, it is an operational necessity. This commitment extends to every contractor and staff member who sacrifices time with loved ones to keep the offshore sector moving.
Looking ahead, Offshore Marine People & Academy remains firmly grounded in people, trust, and purpose. We will continue to evolve with the market and embrace new technologies, while never losing sight of the human element that ultimately defines our success.
To our clients, contractors, suppliers, instructors, consultants, students, and importantly their families, I extend my sincere thanks for your continued support and belief in what we are building together.
I wish you good health, safety, and success in the year ahead. Together, we move forward with energy, persistence, and confidence, united by a shared commitment to the future of Offshore Marine People and Offshore Marine Academy.
Rob Grimmond, Managing Director, OMPA