Age of Sail crews depended heavily on physical strength and agility, especially among the topmen working high above the deck. Modern combatants place greater weight on technical judgment. Physical fitness remains necessary, but the argument distinguishes knowledge that can be taught from the aptitude and interest needed to apply it. IT and engineering skills also transfer readily into civilian employment. Navies compete with technology and engineering firms for these people. Accommodation, quality of life, and the length of a naval career therefore affect recruitment and retention as well as ship design.
Notable Point · 56:18-58:55
Modern navies compete for transferable technical skills
Transferable IT and engineering skills make accommodation and career prospects important to keeping modern naval crews.