Young Shipping Professionals launches membership roadshow

The Young Shipping Professionals of CASA (YSP) is a forum enabling youth from the maritime industry to interact with each other and gain exposure for leadership of the industry. 

As part of their objective, ‘Commitment to the youth of the industry’, YSP launched their membership roadshow in September 2016 to reach out to all member agencies individually to discuss and obtain feedback from their registered members. 

The project was a great success with a more than 90% active participation not only from members but also from the management of respective companies.

YSP focused its attention on five critical factors namely: 

• Knowledge-sharing and industry-specific education
• Personal relations and communications with industry stakeholders
• Corporate Social Responsibility
• CASA’s contemporary industry-related Issues
• Increase the membership and encourage active interaction within the membership and industry

The organisation said that at the end of the roadshow it had managed to team up with its membership to address the themes of ‘CSR’ and ‘Personal Relations and Communications’ through two of the four established subcommittees, said YSP Secretary Ranga Sooriyaarachchi. 

YSP was established with subcommittees where members volunteered to be involved in current projects and provide feedback on future projects.

• CSR Committee – to be responsible citizens
• Media Committee – to spearhead personal relations and communications
• Sports – Largely to drive interaction within the membership
• Sponsorships – as a fundraiser to be used as a pipeline for CSR

Today YSP comprises 183 talented youngsters covering 35 agents. YSP has grown in strength since its inception and has given leadership in numerous projects. YSP has taken two giant steps this year in collaboration with other industry-related bodies and forums followed by a unique membership roadshow which provided deep insight and great feedback for further strengthen YSP in the future. 

YSP said it had set out clear objectives and has conveyed these to its members. “It is time we navigate towards our objectives confidently,” said Chairman Navin Perera in his closing remarks. 

He also thanked the entire membership, the management of all companies, the YSP Steering Committee and the CASA Exco for the support extended in making the roadshow a success. 

The project was chaired by YSP Treasurer Hasitha Dissanayake and assisted by YSP Secretary Ranga Sooriyaarachchi.