Over 140 undergraduates from across all disciplines and working professionals with less than two years of work experience gathered this afternoon at the Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre for the MSC Maritime Careers Workshop. Participants had the rare opportunity to hear from six leading local and international maritime companies about career opportunities in an industry that contributes to 7% of Singapore’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The Careers Workshop started by the MSC Office, a unit under the Singapore Maritime Foundation (SMF), after its engagements with the industry, schools and government agency career centres, revealed a need for more avenues to connect maritime employers with graduates who were potential entry-level jobseekers, in order to support the industry’s talent attraction efforts.

This year, four new maritime companies – APL, Norden, Wallem Shipmanagement and Wilhelmsen Ships Service, joined Jurong Port and PSA Corporation Ltd for this unique event. Participants from both maritime and non-maritime fields closely interacted with six companies through multiple breakout sessions as well as a networking reception. This was a rare opportunity for participants to understand the diverse roles across the port, shipping and maritime services sectors, as well as the qualities that maritime employers looked out for.

Executive Director of SMF, Mr Kenneth Chia said of the MSC Maritime Careers Workshop, “We’ve noticed an increasing interest in the maritime sector amongst the younger generation and this event presents one of the best platforms to connect graduates across disciplines with leading players in our industry.”