17 July 2008
Forty-two students received scholarship and sponsorship awards totalling almost S$3.7million to pursue studies that will prepare them for a vibrant career in Singapore's thriving maritime sector. The awards were given out by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore's (MPA) Chairman, Mr Peter Ong, and sponsoring companies' senior management executives at the inaugural MPA and MaritimeONE1 scholarship award ceremony held this evening.
Over the past several years, the MPA has been working with the industry to build up the maritime educational landscape, create greater awareness of maritime careers,2and make available attractive scholarship options. The momentous occasion marked the first time that both government and industry have come together to hand out their scholarships and sponsorships at the same award ceremony.
"We need a range of maritime-ready professionals serving both in the public and private sectors to drive our development as an international maritime centre. We are grateful that companies in the maritime industry have stepped forward to award scholarships and internships under the MaritimeONE initiative. This combined scholarship ceremony involving both public and private sector sponsors testifies to our continuing commitment to invest in young men and women, so as to grow the maritime talent pool in Singapore," said MPA's Chief Executive BG(NS) Tay Lim Heng.
Added Singapore Maritime Foundation's Chairman Mr SS Teo, who currently chairs the MaritimeONE Steering Committee, "We are pleased to announce that this year, there are a total of 14 MaritimeONE scholarships, as compared to four last year. The substantial jump is a reflection of the commitment of our private sector partners who have come forth to pledge their support and develop the local maritime professionals."
This evening's awards, which comprise 10 MPA scholarships, three MPA sponsorships, 12 Tripartite Maritime scholarships, three SAIL scholarships, and 14 MaritimeONE scholarships, will put recipients through their studies at prestigious overseas and local universities as well as the polytechnics. The recipients were chosen from a pool of over 520 applicants.
Those undertaking their first degrees will be schooled in either specialised maritime courses or other disciplines ranging from economics and political science to engineering and law. This is reflective of the maritime sector's diversity. And among the recipients are young bright women who have chosen to major in maritime studies and thereafter enter this dynamic sector. This is a more than welcome move as these women will be able to contribute alternative perspectives and bring diverse ideas to the table.
The maritime workforce has grown by an impressive 12 percent over the past year to 108,000 and contributes about seven percent direct value add to Singapore's gross domestic product (GDP). The recipients, upon graduation, can look forward to exciting job opportunities within their sponsoring organisations or the Singapore maritime industry.
Footnotes:
1 Maritime Outreach NEtwork or MaritimeONE was launched in April 2007 by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, the Association of Singapore Marine Industries, the Singapore Maritime Foundation, and the Singapore Shipping Association to provide a platform for maritime stakeholders to collectively raise awareness of the maritime industry and attract quality manpower to the industry.
2 Among the key initiatives launched to generate awareness on maritime careers are: Maritime Leaders Speakers Series (January 2008), and Maritime Careers Portal (www.maritimecareers.com.sg ) (March 2008).
End of release
About the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA)
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) was established on 2 February 1996, with the mission to develop Singapore as a premier global hub port and international maritime centre (IMC), and to advance and safeguard Singapore's strategic maritime interests. The MPA is the driving force behind Singapore's port and maritime development, taking on the roles of Port Authority, Port Regulator, Port Planner, IMC Champion, and National Maritime Representative. The MPA partners the industry and other agencies to enhance safety, security and environmental protection in our port waters, facilitate port operations and growth, expand the cluster of maritime ancillary services, and promote maritime R&D and manpower development.
About MaritimeONE
Launched in April 2007, MaritimeONE (Outreach Network) is a key platform for all maritime stakeholders to collectively raise the awareness of the maritime industry and attract new entrants into the industry. Besides the networking receptions, the other MaritimeONE partnership activities include scholarships, student internships at maritime companies and student outreach activities.
The MaritimeONE Steering Committee comprises Mr Teo Siong Seng, Chairman, Singapore Maritime Foundation; BG (NS) Tay Lim Heng, Chief Executive, Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore; Mr Michael Chia, President, Association of Singapore Marine Industries; and Mr Patrick Phoon, Councillor, Singapore Shipping Association.
