Singapore: Supply of experienced dry cargo operations staff in Singapore is drying up fast. Competition for operators in Singapore with more than five years' experience is intense.
With numerous owner operators all fishing in the same pool, each is finding it tough to fill vacancies. Maritime recruitment firm Spinnaker's Matt Cornelius who specialises in commercial shipping recruitment in Singapore, said, "There are enough vacancies for each candidate five times over at the moment.
"There are now so many employers on the island that poaching is rife and competition for staff is never ending," said Cornelius. "Combined with the industry-wide lack of investment in new talent during the first half of the recession, there are not enough operations, chartering or freight trading staff with five years' experience to go round."
Further complicating matters, this August sees the introduction of the Fair Consideration Framework in Singapore. This is intended to ensure that employers give local people the opportunity to apply for vacancies; and it means that all Singapore vacancies must be advertised on approved websites for at least 14 days before visa / employment pass applications for foreign workers can be considered.
Singapore has possibly become a victim of its own success, Cornelius reckoned. “Its size and dependence upon foreign labour, high housing costs, cost of living and the incredible growth of the shipping community means that it's hard enough for employers to fill some of their roles, let alone fill them with local staff," Cornelius concluded in an article posted on Spinnaker’s site. [30/04/14]
