This will entice and retain talent in the maritime sector.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore and the Singapore Maritime Foundation will partner with firms to jointly put up an alliance that will help upgrade the skills of the maritime industry.

In a speech at Singapore Shipping Association, Minister for Transport S Iswaran said the establishment of the Alliance for Future Maritime Talent (AFMT) will attract and maintain talent in the sector, which will help retain Singapore’s “success as a maritime hub.”

The two government organisations will partner with Pacific Carriers Limited, Pacific International Lines, and the American Bureau of Shipping for the alliance.

READ MORE: Iswaran tells ICAO: Focus on specific needs of each country to strengthen partnerships

Iswaran said the AFMT will equip maritime workers with skills including green financing and maritime cybersecurity, create curricula, support job redesign, as well as facilitate sea-to-shore shifts for seafarers.

The AFMT will be supported by a new tripartite advisory panel, which will identify maritime skills and competencies, with the consultation of industry leaders.

The Panel will be co-chaired Hor Weng Yew, chief executive of Pacific Carriers Limited and chairman of the Singapore Maritime Foundation; and Nick Potter, general manager, of Shipping and Maritime, Pacific and the Middle East, Shell.

“These talent initiatives are critical because they will ensure a pipeline of talent with the requisite skills, and that in turn will be the foundation that will strengthen the competitiveness of our maritime ecosystem,” said Iswaran.