Select Offshore

Established in 2013, Select Offshore provides recruitment services to the maritime, renewable energy and oil & gas industries, with projects operating across every continent. It has offices in the UK, Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia. It is certified under the Maritime Labour Convention and manages a complex supply chain, including transport to offshore sites worldwide, health & safety, testing, visas and international tax regulations.  

• The offshore industry is project-based, requiring the business to service new markets and regulations every week. When a client picks up a new project in a new location, part of Select Offshore’s role is to assist them in finding solutions to get the contractors into the country, which requires research into visa requirements and any local restrictions/requirements.
• With the Russian invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, Select Offshore had seafarers that became stuck on vessels, unsure if they could return home. The family of one such seafarer decided to flee to Romania, with plans that the seafarer would join them, but his bank accounts were invalid, leaving him without access to money. The business tried to set the individual up with a new bank account, but it was unsure where his next accommodation would be. Select Offshore decided to pay him in cash and an employee flew to Amsterdam to meet the individual where he was disembarking his vessel. They met at the airport, and he was able to reunite with his family and find temporary accommodation.
• Almost 20% of the workforce are Ukrainian nationals, so Select Offshore built relationships with agents in Ukraine and were able to get seafarers out of the country via legitimate routes. They were able to provide for their families again but many Ukrainian nationals, as in the example above, were unable to access bank accounts, so the company partnered with maritime payment specialists MarTrust. This solution meant that seafarers were able to set up bank accounts without permanent addresses and allowed them to leave Ukraine, access funds again and also provided financial support to those separated from seafarers on assignment.

Judges’ comments

“Select Offshore truly possesses the capability to adapt and respond effectively to any situation, regardless of the country or scenario. Over the past 12 months, it has proven its capacity to creatively find solutions to challenges and, more importantly, prioritise the wellbeing of its workforce over financial gain. This was particularly evident and acknowledged by the judges when assessing how Select Offshore responded to help its workforce during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.”