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SINGAPORE MARITIME DIRECTORY 2020/2021
conjunction with Singapore Maritime Week 2019 (SMW2019), with 18 participating organisations as a test-bed to develop cutting-edge capabilities and solutions. One of these projects is IntelliTug, a collaboration between Wartsila, PSA Marine and the Technology Centre for Offshore and Marine Singapore (TCOMS), focusing on developing autonomous tugboats to increase productivity and navigational safety in the port. “The setup of the Maritime Innovation Lab is an important milestone in Singapore’s journey to be the global maritime hub for connectivity, innovation and talent. The facility will support the Sea Transport Industry Transformation Map (ITM) by strengthening the maritime industry’s partnership with research and technology communities, co-creating solutions to address industry challenges and developing innovative concepts and services for the industry,” said Dr Lam Pin Min, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Transport and Ministry of Health, the Guest-of- Honour at the launch event.
On the talent front, a pipeline of skilled maritime professionals has to be cultivated to combat the manpower crunch in the maritime sector.
MPA, together with the Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) and partner companies, reached an agreement to pledge S$8.88 million to extend funding for the Certi cate of Competency for Special Limits programmes until 2021, specially catered to train 180 Marine Engineers and Deck Of cers for the industry. The extension of the funding was announced at the 6th graduation ceremony for CoC (Special Limit) programmes, held on 10 April 2019. To date, more than 250 chief mates and marine engineers have graduated from this programme. Said Ms Quah Ley Hoon, Chief Executive of MPA, “The maritime industry is transforming, and having a skilled workforce is key to keeping the maritime industry competitive.
With the extended funding, we hope to attract more talent, especially Singaporeans, into the maritime industry.”
MPA, SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) and Workforce Singapore have jointly developed the Professional Conversion Programme (PCP) for Sea Transport Professionals. The PCP will help mid–career local Professionals, Managers, Executives and Technicians (PMETs) from either within or outside of the maritime industry to transit and take up new maritime jobs.
Under the Work-Study Programme, SSG is collaborating with MPA to give polytechnic graduates a running start in their careers in the ship-owning, operating and broking elds. The 18-month programme includes mentorship, facilitated learning and on-the-job training. Graduates of the programme will receive an internationally recognised certi cate from the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers (ICS).
The Tripartite Maritime Scholarship (TMSS) has been enhanced to introduce a new mid-term TMSS scholarship for Certi cate of Competency (CoC) 3/5 holders, which will provide a S$30,000 sign-on bonus, allowances as well as cover the costs of subsequent CoC and other compulsory course fees. The mid-term TMSS scholarship will widen the pool of potential applicants and encourage more to continue their seafaring career.
The ITM provides a blueprint for the future of maritime and aims to grow the industry’s value-add by S$4.5 billion, creating more than 5,000 good jobs by 2025. To better prepare seafarers for disruptive technologies, the Industry Collaboration Training Committee for the Seafaring Sector was established to complement the ITM.
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