Singapore Maritime Officers’ Union (SMOU) celebrates the 10-year milestone of the Tripartite Nautical Training Award (TNTA). This programme is initiated by SMOU and made possible with the strong support of our tripartite funding partners, Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) and SMOU having committed to S$40 million in subsidies to train over 700 cadets.

18 June 2019, Tuesday – Started in 2009, TNTA is a place-and-train programme that equips Singaporeans with the skills to sail the high seas as a career. The 31-month training programme includes 6-months of pre-sea training, 18-months of sailing followed by 7-months of shore based training before the Certificate of Competency Class 3 (CoC3) Examinations.
The unique feature of the TNTA programme is the partnership with shipping companies where cadets are attached to a shipping company even before the commencement of the course.
“PIL is a firm and active supporter of the programme by offering TNTA cadets opportunities for shipboard training. As a leading International Maritime Centre, it is important to attract and maintain a strong Singapore maritime core by building a ready pool of marine officers.” Mr Teo Siong Seng, Executive Chairman/Managing Director of Pacific International Lines Pte Ltd. To date, over 30 companies have extended their support towards this programme, training over 300 cadets over the last 10 years.
Home to 5,000 maritime establishments in Singapore, there is no better industry to be in where new and exciting opportunities are happening not just at sea but also on shore. The key towards building a competent, sustainable and future ready maritime workforce is to develop and grow the workforce’s capabilities for future roles that might emerge from the industry’s transformation.
Today, the Singapore Maritime Employers Federation (SMEF), MPA, SMOU and Singapore Organisation of Seamen have formed an Industry Collaboration Training Committee (CTC) for the Seafaring Sector, supported by NTUC’s e2i (Employment and Employability Institute). The commitment was inked with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding witnessed by Minister for Education, Mr Ong Ye Kung and NTUC President, Ms Mary Liew.
“Over the next three years, this CTC will develop a sustainable training system for the maritime workforce. The initiative aims to formalise the acceptance of technology, adoption of technology and actualisation of value by both businesses and workers. With a culture of retraining and upskilling, workers will be able to transit into new or reconstructed jobs that would emerge as the workforce moves to become future ready,” Ms Mary Liew, NTUC President and SMOU General Secretary.
This initiative is expected to benefit 17 companies under SMEF. To date, more than 50 CTCs have been form. The labour movement targets 1,000 CTCs over the next 3 years, benefiting 330,000 workers.