18 students appointed as inaugural batch of MaritimeSG Youth Ambassadors

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) today appointed 18 students from local Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) as the inaugural batch of MaritimeSG Youth Ambassadors (MYAs). The ceremony was held at the MPA Academy, with Mr Chee Hong Tat, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Transport, gracing the event as Guest-of-Honour.

Momentum for a Youth-led Maritime Movement

Launched in February 2022 with a public call for applications, the MYA programme was conceived to provide youth leaders below 30 years old with a platform to champion a maritime movement among their peers and achieve stronger awareness for MaritimeSG through
youth-to-youth advocacy. This will allow Singapore to cultivate the next generation of advocates for MaritimeSG.

The MYA programme will provide appointed students with access to exclusive maritime events for networking opportunities with maritime thought leaders, and specially curated visits to restricted maritime facilities. This includes the Port Operations Control Centre, Raffles Lighthouse, Integrated Simulation Centre, MPA vessel tours, invitations to International Conferences held at the annual Singapore Maritime Week, and more.  The aim of this expansive exposure to the maritime industry is to allow students to accumulate valuable maritime experiences that will benefit their professional growth. The MYAs will be also able to hone their leadership skills through organising outreach initiatives such as campaigns, workshops and learning journeys to engage their peers.

Mr Chee Hong Tat, Senior Minister of State at the Ministry of Transport, said, “The MaritimeSG Youth Ambassadors Programme supports our efforts to grow a sustainable pipeline of future talent by facilitating youth-to-youth engagement on developments in the maritime industry. The industry is digitalising, innovating and decarbonising. The diverse backgrounds of the students who are appointed today is a reflection of the wide range of professional opportunities available in the maritime industry.”

Industry Support

Singapore Maritime Foundation (SMF) and Singapore Shipping Association (SSA) will support MYAs’ professional learning and development through invitations to industry events, and networking opportunities. This is in addition to existing talent development initiatives such as MaritimeOne Scholarship, and events organised by SSA’s Young Executives Group (YEG) and SMF’s Young Executives & Students (YES) club.

The MYAs will also be supported by Singapore’s International Maritime Organization (IMO) Goodwill Maritime Ambassadors - Ms Akanksha Batura Pai, Head of Strategy and Growth, Sinoda Shipping Agency Pte Ltd, and Mr Jonathan Choo, Partner and practising maritime lawyer, Allen & Gledhill LLP. They are also the Chair and Vice-Chair of SSA’s YEG, respectively, and were involved in driving collaboration with SMF’s YES club. The IMO Goodwill Maritime Ambassadors will engage the MYAs to provide mentorship and guidance on the various apprenticeships available and various maritime career pathways.  

Ms Akanksha Batura Pai, said, “The maritime industry is a pivotal, vibrant and dynamic one - not just in Singapore, but internationally. The industry has been and will be making rapid changes in the next few years in terms of gender equality, digitalisation and decarbonisation. Problems of the future will be solved by multi and inter disciplinary thinkers and I’m grateful to be part of the MYA Programme to highlight the unique opportunities that lie ahead for the younger generation in this industry.”

Inaugural batch of MaritimeSG Youth Ambassadors

Selection will be conducted annually for full-time students from local IHLs and MYAs will serve for a period of two years. The inaugural batch of MYAs were selected from a pool of over 40 applicants and consists of students from a broad range of disciplines including maritime, business, engineering, law, logistics and supply chain. Shortlisted students were interviewed to assess their suitability for the programme, including their motivations in being a MYA and their passion in maritime.

Ms Lovine Tan, the emcee for the appointment ceremony, is one of the youth ambassadors on the MYA programme. Currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Maritime Studies with Nanyang Technological University, Lovine also founded the maritime business news podcast ‘Global Maritime News’ and balances her weekly podcast production with her studies. “I’m grateful and humbled to be a MaritimeSG youth ambassador to rally youths to join the next generation of the maritime industry. It has been amazing to see how the industry has transformed itself through digitalisation and decarbonisation, and this programme is the perfect opportunity for youth to leverage on MPA to propel their maritime careers forward!” said the 23-year-old.

MaritimeSG Youth Ambassadors Brand Identity

To strengthen the MYA identity, the inaugural batch of MYAs designed a brand logo and a unique social media hashtag to represent the MYAs’ values which are core to building a strong and future-ready MaritimeSG. Designed by Ms Jade Neo from the inaugural batch of MYAs, the MYA logo was revealed during the appointment ceremony.

At the appointment ceremony, the 18 MYAs also presented the programme’s social media hashtag. Aptly called #withMYA, the hashtag was created by Ms Sarah Sharieff to represent the programme’s sense of togetherness with maritime and non-maritime communities, as well as with students from diverse disciplines and backgrounds.