Both International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the maritime industry have always seen the importance of the seafaring profession. In year 2010, former IMO Secretary-General Efthimios E Mitropolus declared the year promises to be an auspicious and important year for seafarers. By presenting 2010 as the Year of the Seafarer, it would help reassure seafarers working at the “sharp end” of the industry that the entire shipping community and those responsible for the international regulatory regime genuinely sympathise, care and understand the extreme pressures that seafarers face in their work. This theme in hand, also allows the maritime community to pay tribute to the 1.5 million seafarers across the globe for their unique contribution to the society and in recognition, of the vital roles they play in facilitation of the global world trade.
At SMOU, we continue to increase efforts to recruit and train cadets to resolve the manpower shortage issue faced by the industry through various initiatives – such as the Tripartite Nautical Training Award (TNTA) and Tripartite Engineering Training Award (TETA) programmes. Both TNTA and TETA serve as an excellent platform for Singaporeans who aspire to be seafaring deck officers and marine engineers sailing on board ocean going vessels. These initiatives are a result of strong tripartite support by Workforce Singapore (WSG), Singapore Maritime Officers’ Union (SMOU), Singapore Shipping Association (SSA), e2i (Employment and Employability Institute) and shipping companies so that more Singaporeans can go into these well-paying careers.
Wavelink Maritime Simulation Centre
The first local maritime union to own a maritime simulation centre integrated with state-of-the-art facilities that includes the latest 240 degree Full Mission Bridge Simulator, Engine Room Simulator, Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) and Liquid Cargo Handling Simulator (LCHS) that costs approximately S$4 million as part of its continual and collective effort to develop the Singapore Maritime Core to support the local maritime industry. The Wavelink Maritime Simulation Centre housed at the Devan Nair Institute for Employment and Employability Institute is one of the first few maritime institutes in Singapore to house four simulation systems in one location. |
