SINGAPORE - Nine post-graduate scholarships worth $2.8 million in total will be offered by the end of 2025 to students looking to join the maritime industry in jobs involving decarbonisation and digitalisation.
The MaritimeONE-Singapore Maritime Institute Postgraduate Research and Development Scholarships will be offered by the Singapore Maritime Institute and fully cover the tuition fees for entire PhD or master’s programmes.
Mr Chee Hong Tat, Senior Minister of State for Finance and Transport, announced this move for the maritime industry on Friday. He was speaking at the Maritime Manpower Forum on the last day of Singapore Maritime Week 2023 held at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre.
This is the first maritime post-graduate scholarship in Singapore, he said. Applications for the scholarship will open in the fourth quarter of 2023.
The scholarships aim to build a quality local maritime research talent pool to deepen Singapore’s specialised research and development capabilities as a global maritime knowledge hub, said the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) in a statement on Friday.
Said Mr Chee at the forum: “We have heard from industry leaders and experts on how the global maritime industry will be impacted by acceleration in digitalisation and technology adoption, and a greater emphasis on environmental sustainability.
“These changes will require governments, companies and workers to adopt new operating models and processes, design and comply with new standards, and learn new skills to remain relevant.”
Mr Chee also noted that there is growing interest from students in non-maritime disciplines who are keen to explore opportunities in the maritime sector.
Of the 39 students from four local universities who will receive the MPA-Global Internship Award (MPA-GIA) this year, 22 are from maritime-related courses, while 17 are from non-maritime disciplines such as data science and analytics, chemical engineering and information systems, said Mr Chee.
Traditionally, participants in the MPA-GIA are from maritime disciplines.
The MPA-GIA gives students the opportunity to gain on-the-job training and global exposure at reputable international maritime companies in Singapore and overseas.
The award recipients will begin on-the-job training with maritime host companies from May. Students also have the chance to be attached to the companies’ overseas offices, where they can be exposed to various disciplines in the maritime industry, such as chartering and ship operations, shipbroking, data analytics and marine insurance.
Over 300 undergraduates have undergone the MPA-GIA programme to date.
Mr Chee also announced the launch of a workforce transformation guidebook on job redesign for the maritime industry.
In 2022, MPA supported the Singapore Maritime Foundation and home-grown shipping companies on a pilot project to redesign two critical roles supporting the shipping fleet – technical superintendent and vessel operator.
Key findings and recommendations from the pilot project were consolidated into the guidebook. The guide also provides maritime companies with advice and practical steps on job redesign to ensure that maritime jobs remain attractive and relevant.
For example, the career pathway for vessel operators – the primary link with the ship’s crew on matters relating to vessel movements and cargo operations – has been widened to take on a more significant role in commercial discussions, where such workers can build strong relationships with clients using their work knowledge and expertise.
Vessel operators’ work processes can also be improved with the use of digitalisation, such as redesigning the ship monitoring process through the use of real-time information and data visualisation.
