The first of its kind in the seafaring sector and supported by NTUC’s Employment and Employability Institute (e2i), the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) sealed a commitment made between SMOU and Singapore Organisation of Seamen (SOS) with Pacific International Lines Pte Ltd (PIL), POSH Fleet Services Pte Ltd, and Wallenius Marine Singapore Pte Ltd to form respective Company Training Committees (CTC).

The CTC is designed to prepare seafarers to be future-ready in the maritime industry through a series of training programmes, courses, seminars, and on-the-job training. It also aims to achieve alignment and action between shipping companies and unions to effectively support workforce transformation. The vision is for seafarers to be more productive, to increase in value to businesses, and to have better working environments. The skill sets will pave the way for a competent and sustainable future-ready maritime workforce—a future version of ‘seafarer 4.0.’

The MOU was signed at the 4th Tripartite Engineering Training Award (TETA) Graduation and 17th Tripartite Nautical Training Award (TNTA) Investiture Ceremony, held at e2i on 20 September.

“Both TMTA programmes and CTC are training tools for the tripartite working partners to work together to strengthen the Singapore core. While the TMTA programmes aim to attract talent and create good jobs in the maritime industry, the CTC develops a culture of retraining and upskilling. These enable our seafarers to transit into new or reconstructed jobs that would emerge as the workforce becomes future-ready so that our seafarers can have better wages, welfare, and work prospects.”

– Ms Mary Liew, NTUC President and SMOU General Secretary