60 Opinion

Attracting maritime talent amidst changing workforce expectations

Tan Beng Tee, executive director of the Singapore Maritime Foundation, on how the shipping sector in the Lion Republic goes about sourcing the best and brightest

Astrange phenomenon happened during the covid pandemic. Instead of holding on to their jobs amid the economic turbulence, workers in many markets started to rethink their priorities. An October 2021 Forbes poll of HR leaders seems to suggest that beyond the pay check, employees today are also motivated by intangibles such as personal growth and shared values. Maritime offers a compelling value proposition—a purposeful career in a transforming sector at the nexus of world trade and the global supply chain.

As maritime transforms, spurred on by mega trends such as technology and sustainability, and amidst keener competition in the labour market, it is even more important that the industry comes together to attract talent.

This is a challenge no single company alone can address. By coming together, the industry can collectively change perceptions and demonstrates what it stands for.

The Singapore Maritime Foundation (SMF) works with both the public and private sectors to attract, engage and grow talent so that together, we can amplify the impact of our voice amid a competitive talent market.

SMF is working with the maritime community to refresh the industry narrative and to present it in fresh ways. SMF recently embarked on an “Own Your Future” digital campaign to showcase an industry that is purposeful, exciting, and one that is on the cusp of change. The first phase of the campaign is fronted by five real-life professionals— data scientist, crew executive, ship financier, asset management executive and shipping lawyer— from across the spectrum of the industry.

The campaign transforms these reallife professionals from different parts of the maritime ecosystem into action characters through rich media such as videos and comic strips. The campaign has recast the “staid” and “traditional”

sector in new light, and SMF will continue to work with the industry to drive its momentum going forward.

SMF’s partnership with the industry to develop a maritime-ready workforce is reinforced by scholarships and internships, which demonstrates a sector that cares about talent development and one that offers rich experience through coaching and hands-on learning.

To increase the industry’s visibility to tertiary students—and recognising that young talent must be engaged intellectually—SMF has been working on a series of case competitions to bring the vibrant sector alive to this highly soughtafter demographic. Over the past year, more than 300 students signed up for SMF’s case competitions that were organised in conjunction with the industry. Companies that have supported the effort include BHP, CMA CGM, Toll Group, Standard Chartered, Eastport Maritime, Torvald Klaveness and Kanda. For the latest technology case competition SMF launched in August 2022, maritime multinationals—A.P. Moller Maersk, PSA Cargo Solutions and RightShip—are on board as sponsors.

At SMF, we recognise the importance of talent professionals who manage the talent pool.

Hence, bringing together HR leaders in Singapore’s maritime community to address issues of common interest and to form connections, along with educators from the tertiary institutions are fundamental to this value chain of talent creation.

One of the hallmarks that distinguishes maritime Singapore is the strong partnership between the public and private sectors. SMF—founded to be a conduit between both—will continue to work closely with the government and the industry to develop a talent pool to drive the transformation of the sector.

We welcome companies to join us in this quest.

Us and them

Singapore resident Edward Ion from Helix PR on the thorny issue of foreign talent and available local staff

Singapore’s vision to be a leading international maritime centre has always been based on long-term planning.

The vision has spanned decades, not years; the strategy is fairly constant and the planning flexible enough to adapt to short-term twists and turns in both Singapore’s fortunes and those of the global economy.

It’s a credit to Singapore as a nation to see its economy transforming at perhaps a faster pace now than ever before.

But as the Lion City recreates itself as a high tech, financial services and wealth management centre, the fight for talent remains a constant thorn in the side of shipping, that most traditional of industries.

It sometimes feels as if shipping is being left behind, out of kilter with the rest of Singapore’s booming, high-tech economy.

After all, what’s the point of having long-term vision and grand strategy without the people to make them work?

The Singapore government and various agencies and educational establishments have gone to great lengths to attract young Singaporeans into careers in shipping.

But for the small pool of Singaporeans entering the jobs market each year, the distractions of higher pay in more ‘fashionable’ industries ensure that shipping remains one of the ‘Ugly Sisters’ as far as career selection is concerned.

Singapore is one of the world’s great maritime centres and punches well above it weight in global shipping.

But to set this talent crunch in context, just 40,000 or so Singaporean babies are born each year.

It was said in the nineteenth century that to be born an Englishman was to have won the lottery of life. And in many respects, the same can be said of young Singaporeans today.

With world-class educational levels and a truly globalised, open economy, Singaporeans have multiple choices when it comes to jobs.

But sadly, shipping and maritime generally are way down the pecking order for the brightest and most ambitious.

A quick survey of major shipping companies, and maritime service sector firms finds very few Singaporeans in c-suite positions.

And with a booming IT sector, a wave of new technology start-ups and with wealth management, investment banking and financial services generally offering fast-track routes to high salaries and the attendant status that brings, what chance does shipping have in the race for talent?

The obvious way of sustaining maritime sector growth has traditionally been to attract foreign talent into Singapore and this pool of talent has no doubt been beneficial to the country’s shipping industry.

But the debate about locals versus foreign talent tends to have an unpleasant undertone and has occasionally produced an ‘us and them’ stand-off in shipping and in other sectors. It’s a touchy political subject.

The government has a tricky balancing act of ensuring enough Singaporeans fill the good jobs that shipping produces while still encouraging the right level of foreign talent.

This debate has to continue - and the balancing act has to work for Singapore to maintain its status as a global maritime centre.