Halcyon in the news: maritime talent in Singapore

The competition to attract and retain talent is keenly fought across the global maritime sector and Singapore is no exception. The Lion City is rightly regarded as one of the industry’s leading global hubs, spanning a multitude of sectors, specialism and professions that reflect the diversity of the shipping industry.

However, it is fair to say that Singapore also faces a fight to keep its talent; not just with other regional and global shipping centres, who are keen to compete on the international stage with Singapore, but also with other sectors, equally keen to attract the brightest and the best.

International employees have always been an integral part of Singapore’s maritime labour pool, but with fewer work visas being granted, the ability of maritime businesses in Singapore to hire overseas candidates has been constrained. This issue and others are examined in the Splash Singapore Market Report 2022.

Cara Carter, who leads Halcyon Recruitment’s presence in Asia, shared her views with Splash, noting that the maritime sector has lobbied Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority to intervene with Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower. As Cara commented to Splash:

“Ministers know that Singapore talent isn’t there and some companies are putting roles into Dubai instead due to better flexibility. Singapore wants to keep its number one top spot so flexibility is a must together with a drive to make the maritime industry more attractive to the Singaporean community.”

If Singapore can take a pragmatic approach to welcoming international employees, at the same time as investing in new skills for the local labour force, particularly around green jobs in recognition of shipping’s focus on sustainability - as the MPA is keen to support - the Lion City will be well placed to compete globally in the fight for talent.

The full article in Splash can be read here: