The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), e2i (Employment and Employability Institute) and Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) will commit an additional S$15 million to extend the Certificate of Competency (CoC) (Special Limits) programmes for Deck Officers and Marine Engineers for another three years to 2017. This was announced by Associate Professor Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Health and Ministry of Transport, at the graduation ceremony for the CoC (Special Limits) programmes held today.

 

The CoC (Special Limits) programmes prepare seafarers to serve on board ships operating up to the "Special Limits" near Singapore (Please refer to Annex A for the map on "Special Limits"). The new grant brings the total funding to S$27 million since the launch of the programmes in 2011. With the latest enhancement, the programmes aim to groom an additional 300 local seafarers on top of the 188 deck cadets and 85 engineer cadets attracted to date.

 

To meet the changing needs of the industry such as new requirements set by the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) Convention, MPA, e2i and WDA have also worked closely with industry partners to enhance the existing CoC (Special Limits) programmes with these new initiatives:

 

(a)   Six-week specialisation training course:

 

MPA collaborated with the Singapore Maritime Academy (SMA)[1] and included a six-week specialisation training course in the CoC (Special Limits) programmes to enhance the skills and knowledge of seafaring officers. The training course covers topics such as ‘Advanced Oil Tanker Safety’ and ‘Passenger Ship Safety’, and equips officers with skills and knowledge to operate specialised and more complex vessels such as tankers and passenger ships.

 

(b) Three-week refresher course:

 

To assist cadets who face difficulty in their written examinations, MPA and SMA introduced a three-week refresher course in programmes. The refresher course aims to improve cadets’ understanding and knowledge of the topics in the programmes and to better prepare them in their written examinations.

 

(c) Career progression for CoC (Special Limits) Officers

 

MPA will be working with SMA to introduce an upgrading course by end of this year, which will facilitate the progression of Deck Officers and Marine Engineer Officers to become Master (Special Limits) and Chief Engineer (Special Limits), respectively, after they have graduated and clocked a further two to three years of sea time.

 

Mr Andrew Tan, Chief Executive of MPA, said, “Quality manpower is a critical success factor for Maritime Singapore. We are pleased to collaborate with e2i, WDA and our industry partners once again to grow a pipeline of skilled local seafarers as part of our maritime workforce. We will continue to enhance our programmes as necessary to ensure relevance to the maritime industry.”

Mr Gilbert Tan, Chief Executive Officer of e2i said, “e2i’s collaboration with MPA and WDA over the last four years has equipped over 200 cadets under the CoC Special Limit programme with maritime skill sets. The rigorous training and constant curriculum enhancements ensure that this graduating group and future cadets would be future-ready. With the additional funding and updates to the programme, we believe more Singaporeans can secure a good job in the Maritime industry.”

 

Mr Goh Eng Ghee, Acting Chief Executive of WDA, said: “WDA is pleased to continue our efforts in developing a ready pipeline of competent officers to support the maritime industry. The programme provides opportunities for Singaporeans to equip themselves with the required skillsets and embark onto a rewarding career in seafaring. We are committed to working with our partners to address emerging manpower needs and build deep capabilities to sustain the growth of the industry.”

 

A total of 60 cadets have graduated from the second batch of the Deck Officer and Marine Engineer (Special Limits) training programmes. Associate Professor Faishal presented insignias to 32 of them, who have passed their professional exams and obtained their Certificates of Competency, at today’s graduation ceremony. The remaining 28 graduates will be sitting for their professional exams conducted by MPA in the near future.

 

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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. 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. 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.

 

As THE leading organisation to create solutions for better employment and employability, e2i exists to create better jobs and better lives for workers. Since 2008, we have helped more than 300,000 workers through providing better jobs, developing better skills through professional development, and improving productivity for companies. An initiative of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), supported by the Workforce Development Agency (WDA), the Singapore Labour Foundation (SLF), and the Singapore National Employers’ Federation (SNEF), e2i serves all segments of workers, from rank-and-file to professionals, managers and executives.

 

Visit www.e2i.com.sg for more information.

The Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) enhances the competitiveness of our workforce by encouraging workers to learn for life and advance with skills. In today's economy, most jobs require not just knowledge, but also skills. WDA collaborates with employers, industry associations, the Union and training organisations, to develop and strengthen the Continuing Education and Training system that is skills-based, open and accessible, as a mainstream pathway for all workers - young and older, from rank and file to professionals and executives – to upgrade and advance in their careers and lives. For more information, please visit www.wda.gov.sg.

 

For media clarification, please contact:

 

Serene Liu (Ms)

Manager

Corporate Communications Department

Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore

DID: (65) 6375-1789

Fax: (65) 6276-8927

Email: serene_liu@mpa.gov.sg

 

Cassandra Neo (Ms)

Senior Specialist

Marketing Communications & Partnerships

e2i (Employment and Employability Institute)

DID: (65) 6471-5853

Email: cassandra_neo@e2i.com.sg

 

Steven Ng (Mr)

Principal Manager

Corporate & Marketing Communications

Singapore Workforce Development Agency

DID: (65) 6512-1241

Email: steven_ng@wda.gov.sg