Improving the Seafaring Sector

The Singapore Maritime Officers’ Union (SMOU), Singapore Organisation of Seaman (SOS), Singapore Maritime Employers Federation (SMEF) and Maritime Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) have come together to form an industry Collaboration Training Committee (CTC). 

The committee will be supported by NTUC’s e2i (Employment and Employability Institute.

The commitment was inked on 18 June 2019, with Education Minister Ong Ye Kung and NTUC President Mary Liew as witnesses.

Touching on the training committee, Ms Liew, who is also SMOU’s General Secretary, said: “Over the next three years, this CTC will develop a sustainable training system for the maritime workforce. The initiative aims to formalise the acceptance of technology, adoption of technology and actualisation of value by both businesses and workers.

“With a culture of retraining and upskilling, workers will be able to transit into new or reconstructed jobs that would emerge as the workforce moves to become future ready.”

About 17 companies under SMEF are expected to benefit from the initiative.

To date, the Labour Movement has formed more than 50 CTCs. It targets to form 1,000 CTCs within the next three years, benefiting some 330,000 workers.

10-Year Milestone

Meanwhile, SMOU also celebrated the 10-year milestones of the Tripartite Nautical Training Award (TNTA).

TNTA is a place-and-train programme that equips Singaporeans with the skills to sail as a career.

The programme was initiated by SMOU in 2009. It is supported by MPA and SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG). SMOU committed $40 million in subsidies to train over 700 cadets.

Cadets will go through a 31-month training programme, whcih includes a six-month pre-sea training, 18 months of sailing followed by 7 months of offshore based training before their Certificate of Competency Class 3 (CoC3) examinations.

• What is a Company Training Committee?

A company training committee is an initiative implemented at company level between union leaders and company management.

Working together, the committee will assess skills development gaps in the company, articulate Worker 4.0 and training requirements for the company, drive company-based training programmes identified in the company's Worker 4.0 plan, and coordinate feedback for training improvements.

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