Future of Maritime Talent - Skill Sets, Opportunities & Challenges!

"Change is necessary to grow. Impermanence is everything to possibilities."

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Things are constantly changing around us and nowhere more than in the #talent

landscape! At Maritime NXT , one of the key passions is to drive the "next" in Maritime Talent. So what does driving the "next" in #Maritime Talent entail?

It is all about actively identifying & imparting new skill sets to the upcoming & current talent of the industry and it is also about participating in initiatives to attract & retain the best talent for the maritime industry!

When it comes to #newskillsets, I have identified three key ones.

First is Analytical Skills. With a lot more data & exposure at their fingertips, compared to the previous generations, the future maritime professionals will have to put the analytical skills at the top of their "to do list". Clever & relevant analysis will be the mantra to woo success.

Second will be Soft Skills such as communication, relationship building, marketing & negotiation. As technology takes over more of the routine tasks, the future professional will need to move from being a process expert to a deal maker, delivering true worth to his or her organization.

Third is Lifelong Learning Skills. COVID-19 has made online learning a second nature to most of the professionals. With the absence of continuous professional development (CPD) in the industry, they will need to keep their inquisitiveness, curiosity & drive to learn to succeed.

However I also see two key #challenges which will need to be surmounted by the younger generation.

First is the possible loss of #craftsmanship. As technology “solves” the problems & produces the results on a plate to serve the customers, there is a risk that the younger generation do not understand the “basics” behind those results. I have the privilege of teaching students & professional on behalf of both Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers and BIMCO . I can sense a conceptual disconnect and that can potentially be disastrous in the long run.

The second challenge is the loss of #mentorship, as it was traditionally imparted. COVID-19 & use of technology has created hybrid working environments and it may be flexible but it does not help the younger lot as their interaction & mentoring opportunities are limited. On top of this, high markets, especially from 2003 to 2008, have meant that deals were done without conceptual understanding and without that, it is unlikely that these “seniors” will be able to mentor their own juniors.

So is this a lost cause? Will the younger generation be deprived of the valuable knowledge & experience of their seniors? Not at all. In my opinion, these are some of the #initiatives that should be adopted to #attract & #retaintalent for the #MaritimeIndustry.

1.???Every financial scholarship given by a company must be coupled with a dedicated #mentor, who will #guide, #mentor & #nurture the scholar. We have been doing this for last 7 years with the Oza Family-Maritime One Scholarship, with good success.

2.???Greater #industrylinkages with #universities (for both maritime & non-maritime courses) as success stories that students can relate to, will drive their passion & knowledge for the industry. This will boost the industry’s image as well.

3.???Offering industry centric non-credit courses & electives to the students. I would like to applaud the effort of Singapore Management University in this regard where I have personally seen the value the course on “#Geopolitical #Risks & their impact on #shipping #tradeflows”, that I teach, brings to the students. ?

4.???Encouraging flexible, project-based & outcome-based internships for the students. Rather than “moving across all the departments” during the internship, a project-based internship creates greater value for both the intern as well as the company creating a true win-win situation.

5.???Leverage the knowledge upgrade sessions offered by professional bodies. In Singapore, I have always found knowledge sessions hosted by Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration (SCMA) (SCMA), Singapore Shipping Association (SSA) and Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers (ICS) to be extremely valuable. A recent session on “Biofuels for Dummies” hosted by Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers Singapore Branch and so ably presented by Capt. Rahul Choudhuri from VPS was a real eye-opener.

While the younger professionals will have to take initiative to continuously upgrade their skills, the industry – companies, organizations, leaders & universities – will have to do their part to create a true “win-win” situation. We are all in this together!! I actually look forward to Singapore Maritime Week (SMW) and the discussions in the Maritime Manpower & Talent Forum, where I am privileged to be a panelist.

#maritimetalent #maritimesg #shipping #futuregeneration #lifelonglearning #technology #futureofwork #smw2023

Beng Tee Tan Weng Yew Hor Yi Han Ng （黄翼航） Kenneth Lim Kris Ang Akanksha Batura Pai Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry Dr Kenneth Low Dr. Patrick Tan Aaron Low Jaya Mittal Nick Jonsson