Maritime Industry Casts Its Nets Wide to Attract Graduates Across Various Disciplines Following Recent Launch of the Sea Transport Industry Transformation Map

03 March 2018

Four New Companies join PSA Corporation and Jurong Port in Partnering the Maritime Singapore Connect (MSC) Office for its Careers Workshop

Over 140 undergraduates from across all disciplines and working professionals with less than two years of work experience gathered this afternoon at the Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre for the MSC Maritime Careers Workshop. Participants had the rare opportunity to hear from six leading local and international maritime companies about career opportunities in an industry that contributes to 7% of Singapore’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The Careers Workshop started by the MSC Office, a unit under the Singapore Maritime Foundation (SMF), after its engagements with the industry, schools and government agency career centres, revealed a need for more avenues to connect maritime employers with graduates who were potential entry-level jobseekers, in order to support the industry’s talent attraction efforts.

This year, four new maritime companies – APL, Norden, Wallem Shipmanagement and Wilhelmsen Ships Service, joined Jurong Port and PSA Corporation Ltd for this unique event. Participants from both maritime and non-maritime fields closely interacted with six companies through multiple breakout sessions as well as a networking reception. This was a rare opportunity for participants to understand the diverse roles across the port, shipping and maritime services sectors, as well as the qualities that maritime employers looked out for.

Executive Director of SMF, Mr Kenneth Chia said of the MSC Maritime Careers Workshop, “We’ve noticed an increasing interest in the maritime sector amongst the younger generation and this event presents one of the best platforms to connect graduates across disciplines with leading players in our industry.”

For the past few years, Singapore has been ranked the top maritime centre of the world in reports conducted by Menon Economics, Xinhua News Agency and the Baltic Exchange. To stay ahead, we will require greater focus on attracting the right talent, ideally graduates of diverse backgrounds and a global mindset for this dynamic sector.

Workshop participants also learnt more about the Government’s blueprint and long-terms plans for the industry, as outlined in the Sea Transport Industry Transformation Map (ITM)1 launched recently, which aims to grow the sector’s value-add by S$4.5 billion and create more than 5,000 good jobs by 2025.

In addition, SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG)2, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and the Singapore Maritime Officers’ Union (SMOU) also recently announced the injection of S$12.6 million into two cadet training programmes as part of efforts to develop the talent pool in the maritime industry by grooming 200 Singaporeans to become deck and marine engineer officers.

Participating Companies

Jurong Port, a leading international multipurpose port operator handling general, bulk and containerised cargo, has been involved in the MSC Maritime Careers Workshop, since the beginning, to engage and spot bright, young minds.

We provide an environment for the younger generation to constantly challenge themselves to think out of the box. Structured programmes covering leadership, business and technical skills are available to further enhance our staff’s effectiveness in their current and future roles.

She continued, “Fresh graduates can join our Management Associate programme where they will undergo a structured 18-month rotation across key business and support divisions, allowing them to develop into multipurpose port professionals.”

Seeing that company culture is important in attracting the younger generation, Ms Lynette Lim, HR Manager, Southeast Asia from the new host company for the event this year, Wallem Group said, “We are proud to have a diverse workforce and take pride in having work-life balance with our flexi-working hours. Employees at Wallem Group are also entrusted to chart their own careers as they have the option to explore opportunities in the different business units like Shipmanagement, Agency and Commercial including an opportunity for cross country exposure.”

We encourage young individuals who are keen to explore a career in our vibrant maritime industry to be resilient to changes, resourceful and have an inquisitive mindset.

On the reasons for young people to consider a maritime career, Mr Adrian Lau, Regional Human Resources & Organisation Development Director of Wilhelmsen Ships Service, had this to say, “There is no time like the present to embark on a career in maritime. Many organisations in the sector are consolidating and transforming themselves to meet the growing demands of operations in the business. There is greater emphasis on agility, using analytics, technologies and innovation to move ahead of the game. Young individuals should keep an open mind about their career options and expand horizons through different roles that the companies have to offer and to have an inquisitive mind to be an agent of change.”

Connecting Students and Jobseekers to Maritime Opportunities

The MSC Maritime Careers Workshop follows on from the Maritime D/coded Tour in January organised by the MSC Office, in partnership with Jurong Port and PSA Corporation, to interest students from diverse fields of study, particularly those from courses relating to business analytics, information security, data science and analytics, and information systems. Demand for expertise in these fields will be on a rise as Singapore embarks on digital transformation with automation in the works for shipping, port and maritime services sectors.

Besides partnering with leading maritime companies to connect with students, the MSC Office also works closely with Institutions of Higher Learning (IHLs) to further provide students with insights into the Singapore maritime industry. The launch of the MSC website (www.maritimesgconnect.com) in July 2017, also provides students and jobseekers with a one-stop resource for information on all things maritime. Individuals could upload their resumes as an indication of their interest in internships or jobs, and maritime companies in Singapore would use the website to contact interested candidates whenever a suitable role arises.

1 “Sea Transport Industry Transformation Map to Drive Singapore’s Vision to be a Global Maritime Hub for Connectivity, Innovation and Talent” – press release dated 12 Jan 2018.

2 “SkillsFuture Singapore, MPA and Maritime Union to Inject $12.6 Million in Training Next Generation of Seafarers” – press release dated 20 Feb 2018.

About Singapore Maritime Foundation

The Singapore Maritime Foundation (SMF) was established on 27 January 2004 to facilitate dialogue and cooperation among maritime stakeholders from the public and private sectors. As the bridge between the public and private sectors, SMF aims to provide the industry with a clear and representative voice, and spearhead projects to boost its development.

SMF also organises and participates in a host of maritime events to strengthen the Maritime Singapore brand. To date, SMF has significantly benefitted from strong support from all sectors of the industry which has enabled the organisation to reach out directly to the community for new areas of work to improve the current maritime ecosystem.

For details, please visit www.smf.com.sg.

About Maritime Singapore Connect Office

Maritime Singapore Connect (MSC) was set up in 2016 to elevate profiling efforts of the maritime industry, connect students and jobseekers to maritime opportunities, and provide Singaporeans with easy access to maritime careers, education and training opportunities.

As a unit under the Singapore Maritime Foundation (SMF), MSC serves as a central node connecting maritime employers, industry associations, schools and government agencies with students and jobseekers. It offers maritime-related education and career guidance, links the industry with schools for internship and job opportunities and organises outreach events and publicity campaigns.

For details, please visit www.maritimesgconnect.com.

Media Contacts

Right Hook Communications
Debbie Pereira
Senior Account Manager
debbie@righthook.com.sg
(65) 6291 1393
Nurhayati Ghani
Account Executive
nurhayati@righthook.com.sg
(65) 6291 1393
Singapore Maritime Foundation
Regina Lim
Senior Manager
reginalim@sgmf.com.sg
(65) 6325 0117

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Mr. John Martin

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