A TWO-WEEK stint at sea as a sea cadet during his secondary school days was all it took for Captain Kevin Wong to decide on his career of choice. "That's when I got hooked. I never looked back," he laughed. He started off at Singapore Polytechnic (SP), specialising in nautical studies, before ultimately acquiring his Class 1 certificate of competency (COC) to become a master mariner.
After 14 years of sailing the seas, he moved on to his subsequent career ashore with the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) of Singapore. The years at sea, coupled with his theoretical knowledge from SP, proved to be a tremendous source of experience, which later proved beneficial when he began to work onshore. "It gave me better knowledge of the rules, the modus operandi as well as constraints or challenges faced by the ship masters," he explained. Today he is Controller of Marine Operations in the Port Operations Control Department for the MPA.
Opportunities galore: After 14 years of sailing, Captain Kevin Wong (left, main head picture) now works ashore with the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, while Ace Leong works onshore as an assistant manager in charge of bunkering. Pauline Tan (above), who got her diploma in marine engineering and her Class 1 COC, is a project engineer with Modec Inc
However, he is quick to point out that the maritime industry is not limited solely to seafaring, and listed legal and arbitration, ship chartering and ship financing as other examples of viable opportunities. "For every ship that calls at port there'll be a whole slew of services supporting her. There is an increasing need for people who are trained in the maritime field to support the ships."
One prime example is Ace Leong, who also works onshore as an assistant manager in charge of bunkering. Mr Leong's time at SP - where he pursued a diploma in maritime transportation - trained him in both nautical and shore-based auxiliary functions, which 'gives him the best of both worlds'.
Pauline Tan, who currently works as a project engineer with Modec Inc, enjoys the flexibility and challenge her job offers her as she reckons that it keeps her from becoming complacent. "Every different oil field requires different kinds of machines and ships. For nine months to a year, we will be involved in one project and when the project is done, we'll be allocated to a different project. I find it more interesting. I don't have to sit in front of a computer for 10 hours." Ms Tan got her diploma in marine engineering at SP and later went on to get her Class 1 COC.
While there used to be a general lack of awareness of the maritime industry in the past, this is not so today. Recent years have seen the growth of the industry as well as ramped up efforts by the MPA in collaboration with industry associations to increase awareness through publicity and outreach programmes, such as school talks, maritime open house, a maritime career website and networking events for employers and undergraduates. Such measures have paid off in the long run as this year, the MPA received over 400 applications for its scholarships, which is more than double the number in 2006. $3.5 million in scholarships were awarded for various maritime-related courses in 2007, compared to last year's figure of $2.2 million.
Additionally, applications for the joint MPA-industry and union SAIL (Seafaring Alternative... an Investment for Life) scholarships and the Tripartite Maritime Scholarship Scheme (TMSS) for the Singapore Maritime Academy (SMA) at SP saw an overall increase of 75 per cent.
"In the past, certain companies might take in someone with a general degree. Today, in order to stay competitive, they want quality trained manpower to add value to their business," said Captain Wong.
And while Captain Wong admits the course has not always been smooth sailing, his experiences have gone a long way in helping him hone his skills. "You need common sense and survivor instincts. People who make it to COC have a spark in their eye and confidence in themselves."
Your choice of career paths
The Singapore Maritime Academy offers a comprehensive range of training programmes.
The academy offers three full-time diploma courses in Marine Engineering, Maritime Transportation Management and Nautical Studies. It is the only maritime training institution in Singapore which offers the entire range of professional courses at Certificate of Competency levels. It also offers all the mandatory *STCW95 (Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping 1995) short courses for deck and engineering officers.
