This year’s Day of the Seafarer campaign focused on careers at sea
In celebration of the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) ‘Day of the Seafarer’, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), the Singapore Maritime Officers’ Union (SMOU) and the Singapore Organisation of Seamen (SOS), jointly distributed 600 gift hampers to ships that call at Singapore.
During the hamper distribution ceremony held yesterday at the Sembmarine Integrated Yard @ Tuas, Associate Professor Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Transport, presented gift hampers to representatives from the shipping industry.
“This year’s Day of the Seafarer campaign focuses on careers at sea. Through this, IMO seeks to demonstrate the exciting and fulfilling careers available in the maritime sector. Singapore fully supports these efforts and the Government is committed to helping Singaporeans benefit from these opportunities,” said Associate Professor Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, to more than 50 guests who attended the ceremony.
To promote continuous learning amongst young officers and seafarers, Associate Professor Faishal, presented book prizes to top cadets from the various Certificate of Competency courses for their outstanding academic performance.
MPA works closely with the industry and the unions to attract young and talented Singaporeans to take up seafaring careers and to provide opportunities for them to upgrade their skills. Initiatives such as the recently established Tripartite Maritime Manpower Taskforce for Seafaring help to ensure that local seafarers acquire relevant skillsets to progress in their careers. Earlier this year, MPA also pledged an additional S$15 million to extend the Certificate of Competency (Special Limits) programmes for another three years, which will train an additional 300 Singaporeans as deck officers and marine engineers.
Shipping carries more than 90 percent of world trade. The international shipping industry not only underpins the global economy but brings in almost everything that we use in our daily lives – clothes, food, necessities, etc. Seafarers are responsible not only for the operations of ships but also for the safe and smooth delivery of the cargo. In 2010, IMO designated 25th of June as the Day of the Seafarer as a way to recognise and celebrate the contributions of the 1.5 million seafarers worldwide.
Source & Image Credit: MPA Singapore