Singapore Government Press Release
Media Division, Ministry of Information and The Arts,
MITA Building, 140 Hill Street, 2nd Storey, Singapore 179369
Tel: 837-9666

 Mr Heng Chiang Gnee, President, Association of Singapore Marine Industries,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies & Gentlemen

Good Morning. I am pleased to be here today for the Official Opening of the Marine Industry Fair 2001.

The Marine Industry in Singapore is an important contributor to the economy. Starting out as a group of small labour-intensive shipyards doing general repairs, it has evolved into a world-class shipbuilding and ship repair centre. Our shipyards are capable of building modern, sophisticated vessels and undertaking complicated turnkey repairs or remodelling jobs. Today, in the building of jack-up rigs and ship repair, Singapore had captured an estimated 60% and 16% of the world market respectively. Overall, the industry has an annual turnover of S$3 billion and employs 30,000 people.

Even in this current economic downturn, the marine industry has remained one of the few bright spots. I understand that our shipyards have a combined order book of S$5 billion worth of new projects. Because of the need to upgrade and replace the aging world fleet, and convert ships for other uses, the long-term prospect for the industry looks positive as well. Hence, the Government is committed to help the Marine Industry establish itself as an international maritime hub.

However, this is not without its challenges. Singapore�s position as a leading ship repair and shipbuilding centre is not pre-ordained. There are many competitors in this sector. We can expect to face stiffer overseas competition. China, in particular, poses a strong challenge because of availability of skilled workers and lower costs. This is particularly so for Chinese shipyards located near to large coastal cities, such as Shanghai.

One key determinant on whether we can maintain our competitive advantage will be the availability of a skilled workforce. Hence, today�s Marine Industry Fair is aimed at showcasing the demand for a wide range of skills in the shipyards. It is targetted at out-of-job Singaporeans in the hope that they can be interested to take up jobs offered by the shipyards. We believe that there is a serious lack of awareness and many misperceptions about work in the industry which needs correction.

The main objective of today�s event therefore is to raise awareness of the work environment in the industry and correct common misperceptions. For example, many may not be aware that compared to the early days of backbreaking labour in shipyards, there has been dramatic mechanisation. Not only is the work less labour-intensive, it is also a lot safer to work in shipyards. In fact, the number of accidents and the accident frequency rates have been on a continual decline from 1991 to 2000.

Some also associate a job in the shipyards as a dead-end job with no career prospect. This is certainly untrue. Shipyards offer workers many opportunities for skills upgrading and career promotion. This Fair will introduce exhibits to show that there are in fact good career progression paths and ample training and development opportunities within the industry.

With economic recession, unemployment has risen. Getting a new job is becoming more difficult. Many retrenched workers will face a difficult time coping with their job loss and the challenge of finding a new job. Their families will also be affected. Hence, getting a new job must be a top priority. However, in today�s environment, getting a new job will require courage and flexibility to start afresh or switch to a brand new industry or job in which they have no previous experience.

I understand their reluctance and concerns. However, in a rapidly changing world, standing still in the hope that the old job will come back, may not be a viable option. Even after we recover from this recession, industry restructuring will not stop. Old jobs will give way to new jobs as companies seek to survive in a tough and competitive market. Being nimble, flexible and well equipped with relevant job skills is critical for workers in the years ahead. The ability to move to new jobs in new industries will ensure long-term employability. Hence, I urge our citizens who are looking for work, to consider seriously the 4,000 job opportunities offered by the marine industry. These are good jobs not to be dismissed.

On our part, MOM will do our utmost to help workers cope with job search and skills upgrading. We are currently working with organisations such as the NTUC, CDCs and self-help groups to see how we can provide better job referral and counselling services to retrenched workers at the community level.

Although job creation has slowed and many companies are laying off workers, there are job opportunities. Filling these jobs might require adjustments on the part of both employers and job seekers. For this reason, we have recently enhanced the "People For Jobs Traineeship Programme" (PJTP) to encourage more employers to recruit and train older job seekers making transitions to new sectors and jobs. We are now promoting this to new sectors and companies, including those in the marine industry. In addition, we have also enhanced the Skills Re-development Programme to provide better training support to employers, workers as well as unemployed job seekers.

Today�s event is yet another initiative to help our workers in these difficult times. I would like to congratulate ASMI for this effort to raise awareness of career options in the marine industry. The 4,000 job opportunities should be a tremendous boon to retrenched workers with the right mindset and skills. Even if you do not have the necessary skills, shipyards are prepared to help you learn the skills for the job. I hope more Singaporeans in need of work will seriously study the job opportunities being offered by participants at this Marine Industry Fair.

Thank you.

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