Singapore Maritime Week 2016 seeks to draw talent to sector

SINGAPORE — Amid a global shipping downturn, this year’s edition of the Singapore Maritime Week (SMW) offers a platform to address the challenges confronting the industry, Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan said on Sunday (April 17) as he kicked off the event.

And one of the public outreach events of SMW 2016 — an exhibition on Singapore’s development as a global hub port and an international maritime centre — is seen as a way to raise awareness of the industry and its employment prospects.

“If we work together, we can better overcome the problems,” said Mr Khaw, who is also Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure.

“This year’s SMW has also targeted the public, with various outreach events. They’ll get to know more about Singapore’s maritime sector and the many career opportunities it offers.”

The exhibition at Marina Square, titled Our Maritime Singapore Stories, features several interactive elements, such as a ship simulator that allows visitors to try their hand at the controls of a vessel in challenging scenarios.

This includes navigating in a congested traffic lane or through a narrow channel. The simulator also allows participants to sail through different weather conditions, such as rain and fog, and in different locales, from Singapore and Hong Kong to New York. The exhibition, which runs until Sunday, also has a section featuring the range of occupations in the sector, from marine surveyors to maritime lawyers.

Last Tuesday, the Government announced it would set aside S$12 million over the next two years to roll out a series of manpower schemes to attract, develop and retain local talent in the maritime industry.

Among the initiatives, set to be implemented progressively from May 1, is the Maritime Career Conversion Scheme, which will help Singaporeans and permanent residents reskill and obtain jobs in the industry.

Beyond the schemes, however, there is a need to raise awareness of the industry, Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore chief executive Andrew Tan told TODAY.

“There are many youths today who are not simply looking for desk-bound jobs, and we hope to attract these people to the sector,” he said, adding that the exhibition would showcase the interesting dimensions of the sector and the diverse jobs available.

The SMW — which is themed Positioning for Future Growth in this 11th edition — will also have, for the first time, two offshore support vessels docked at the VivoCity waterfront from Thursday to Saturday, when the public can hop on board for a tour.

This is organised by the Singapore Shipping Association to create awareness of the offshore-marine industry. A string of industry-focused events such as seminars and forums on topics ranging from sustainability to cybersecurity in the maritime industry have also been lined up.

Unveiled at Sunday’s launch was a new logo for Maritime Singapore, the Republic’s maritime ecosystem comprising its global hub port, international maritime centre and strategic maritime interests.
Close to 30,000 members of the public and industry personnel from across the globe are expected to attend the SMW, which ends officially on Friday.