ASMI Super V Graduation Ceremony
22 May 2008
JOINT MEDIA RELEASE
1 The Job Re-creation Programme (JRP) bears fruit again with success stories from the marine and offshore industry, as 29 ASMI SUPER V Trainee Supervisors graduate from their two-year training to secure better jobs, earn better pay and enjoy better career prospects in this industry. The ASMI SUPER V Scheme is a concrete example of how JRP can help lower wage Singaporeans race to the top with structured training to give them better skills, so that they can have better jobs, better pay and a clearly defined career path, for a better life.
2 The ASMI SUPER V Scheme was first inaugurated on 24 November 2005 by Mr Lim Swee Say, Minister, Prime Minister’s Office and Secretary-General, National Trades Union Congress (NTUC). The scheme was jointly developed by the Association of Singapore Marine Industries (ASMI), NTUC and Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) under the Marine JRP, to make jobs in the marine and offshore industry more attractive to Singaporeans and thus, creating more job opportunities for them. The main objective is to attract and retain a core group of Singaporeans to join the marine and offshore industry in supervisory positions.
3 The 29 Trainee Supervisors recruited from the first two Marine JRP recruitment batches have successfully completed their two-year training in three core modules leading to nationally recognised certification. They will receive the ASMI SUPER V Certificate of Completion from Mr Lim Swee Say, who is Guest-of-Honour at the ASMI SUPER V Graduation Ceremony held at the Employment & Employability Institute (e2i) this morning. They are commended for their commitment, efforts and hard work in completing the two-year training and in paving their way to a better job and career prospects. They also serve as an encouragement for other Singaporeans who want to help themselves and aspire to live a better life.
4 The ASMI SUPER V Scheme, targeted at Singaporeans with secondary education, provides a two-year, three-stage structured training that leads to the National ITE Certificate or NITEC. 12 of the Trainee Supervisors from the first two batches have been promoted to Supervisors. This includes two Trainee Supervisors who were promoted well ahead of the two-year training duration for the ASMI SUPER V Scheme.
5 In addition, 24 Trainee Supervisors who have successfully completed their first phase training in the Marine Core Skills Certificate Course will also receive certificates for having completed the course and passed the Skills Evaluation Test Level 1 in their respective trades. Under the ASMI SUPER V Scheme, Trainee Supervisors are placed in one of five key training tracks upon recruitment to equip them with employable and marine trade skills.
6 ASMI has introduced another version of the ASMI SUPER V Scheme to expand the pool of potential local recruits for the marine and offshore industry. This new ASMI SUPER V2 Scheme targets ITE graduates from non-marine NITEC and Higher NITEC courses, and will allow them to embark on a career in the marine and offshore industry. Upon joining the shipyards, they will have to undergo an 18-month structured conversion programme involving classroom-based and on-the-job training. The training programme will equip them with required safety and marine core skills for supervisory work in the shipyards. One of the courses which they have to attend is the 35-hour Common Shipyard Practice modules conducted by Ngee Ann Polytechnic.
7 The participating shipyards under the ASMI SUPER V and SUPER V2 Schemes are: Singapore Technologies Marine; Keppel Offshore & Marine’s shipyards – Keppel FELS and Keppel Shipyard; and Sembcorp Marine’s subsidiary shipyards – Jurong Shipyard, PPL Shipyard and Sembawang Shipyard. The two schemes are also strongly supported by NTUC and the four shipyard unions: Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Employees’ Union, Keppel Employees’ Union, Keppel FELS Employees’ Union and Sembawang Shipyard Employees’ Union. The training under the ASMI SUPER V and SUPER V2 Schemes are partially funded by WDA.
8 Mr Wong Peng Kin, ASMI Vice President and Chairman of Marine JRP Task Force said, “I am confident that through the continual efforts of the participating shipyards and with strong support from our partners, NTUC and shipyard unions, WDA and learning institutions, such as the ITE and Ngee Ann Polytechnic, we would be able to engage and retain more Singaporeans and Permanent Residents to join the marine and offshore industry.”
9 To encourage more Singaporeans to join the marine and offshore industry, a Marine Industry Job Fair is also held this morning at e2i to bring the shipyard employers and job-seekers together so that the latter can have a better understanding of the industry and the various career opportunities within it.
10 Today, the marine and offshore industry is a global leader in the building of jack-up rigs and the conversion of Floating Production Storage Offloading (FPSO) vessels. It is also one of the world’s premier centres for ship repair and conversion, and a one-stop centre for marine products and services. The marine and offshore industry is one of the pioneer industries in Singapore and has been contributing to the economic development of Singapore. The industry’s total turnover in 2006 was S$9.8 billion while its total employment in 2006 was 102,500 workers. Employment has grown in tandem with the increase in total output over the years. Prospect over the next few years is expected to remain good for the marine industry.
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Supplementary Infosheet
FACT SHEET ON ASMI SUPER V AND V2 SCHEMES
ASMI SUPER V SCHEME
The ASMI SUPER V Scheme is a job re-creation initiative jointly developed by the Association of Singapore Marine Industries, National Trades Union Congress and Singapore Workforce Development Agency to make jobs in the marine and offshore industry more attractive for Singaporeans.
The Scheme comprises a two-year, three-stage structured nationally recognised training programme leading up to National ITE Certificate (NITEC). The training consists of classroom-based theory and practical skills training as well as on-the-job training.
The two-year training programme consists of:
• 8-week full time Marine Core Skills Certification Course leading to Skills Evaluation Test Level 1,
• 44-week part-time or day release Intermediate Marine Core Skills Certification Course leading to Skills Evaluation Test Level 2, and
• 26-week part-time or day release Advanced Marine Core Skills Certification Course leading to National ITE Certificate.
Other Features:
• Starting position as ‘Trainee Supervisor’
• Basic starting monthly salary of S$1,300
• Expected monthly salary at end of 2-year training period - S$1,450
• Annual wage supplement (AWS) entitlement
Pre-Requisites:
The scheme is open to Singaporeans and Permanent Residents with at least secondary education, who are physically fit and with no colour blindness.
ASMI SUPER V2 SCHEME
The ASMI SUPER V2 Scheme is targeted at ITE graduates in non-marine NITEC and Higher NITEC courses to build a career in the marine and offshore industry. The Scheme is aimed at attracting and developing such ITE Graduates for supervisory positions to embark on a career in the marine and offshore industry.
The ASMI SUPER V2 Scheme is an 18-month conversion training programme consisting of:
• 2-month off-the-job Marine Core Certification Skills Course leading to Skills Evaluation Test Level 1,
• 4-month on-the-job (OJT) rotational training in the shipyard’s production department, and a 35-hour off-the-job training course in common shipyard practices conducted by Ngee Ann Polytechnic, and
• 12-month OJT supervisor training and off-the-job training in courses on shipyard safety supervision, basic supervision skills, computer application and teamwork.
Other Features:
• Starting position as ‘Trainee Supervisor’
• Basic starting monthly salary of S$1,400 (NITEC) or S$1,450 (Higher NITEC)
• Expected monthly salary at end of 2-year training period - S$1,550 (NITEC) or S$1,600 (Higher NITEC)
• Annual wage supplement (AWS) entitlement
Pre-Requisites:
The scheme is open to Singaporeans and Permanent Residents who are physically fit and with no colour blindness and with either NITEC or Higher NITEC in one of the following courses:
• Automotive Technology
• Electronics (Instrumentation)
• Electrical Technology/Electrical Engineering
• Mechanical Technology/Mechanical Engineering
• Mechatronics (Automation Technology/Equipment Assembly)/Mechatronics Engineering
• Precision Engineering (Machining)
• Mechanical & Electrical Engineering Design
Contact:
For individuals interested in joining the ASMI SUPER V or SUPER V2 Schemes, please contact careerlink@ntuc.org.sg or Tel: 6586 7722.
