To attract, retain and upskill talent in the fast-transforming maritime sector, a set of initiatives were unveiled by MPA Singapore.
The announcement was made during the Maritime Manpower Forum, which was held in conjunction with the Singapore Maritime Week (SMW) 2021.
More specifically, MPA and the Singapore Maritime Foundation (SMF) will jointly partner maritime companies to attract and engage young graduates and mid-careerists, and support companies’ efforts to help their current workforce adapt and upskill to meet future needs.
MPA will be carrying out industry consultations with maritime HR and business-function actors in May 2021 to discuss maritime jobs suitable for job redesign.
Subsequently, we will work with like-minded partners to support redesign of these identified job roles to make them more productive, attractive, and future-ready
said MPA.
In addition, MPA will also be launching the first run of the Maritime Leadership Programme in the second half of 2021 to nurture future maritime business leaders. The 10-day programme will train up to 20 junior management employees annually in leadership capabilities and provide a platform for participants to extend their business networks in Singapore and beyond.
As for SMF, it has secured a further S$2.5 million in pledged scholarships from the maritime community under the MaritimeONE Scholarships. New companies such as Maersk Group, Eastern Pacific Shipping, Asiatic Lloyd and Equatorial Marine have come onboard as sponsors to support the industry’s vision of building a future-ready workforce and a sustainable talent pipeline.
SMF will also be signing a Memorandum of Understanding with youth-led non-profit organisation Advisory, to explore collaborative opportunities to spark interest and passion amongst youths for the maritime sector. In addition, SMF attempts to enhance its Maritime Singapore Connect (MSC) portal, including improved user experience, personalised job recommendations for job seekers, and a new dashboard for maritime companies.
What is more, recently the French Directorate of Maritime Affairs (DMA) and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to deepen their maritime relations.
Additionally, MPA inked a memorandum of cooperation (MoC) with BW Group, Sembcorp Marine, Eastern Pacific Shipping, Ocean Network Express, Foundation Det Norske Veritas and BHP to establish a fund for a maritime decarbonisation centre to be set up in Singapore.
