From apprentice to professional : tracing professionalism in the shipping industry in Singapore

Abstract

The maritime port of Singapore has played an integral role in shaping the economy of Singapore since colonial times. From its very first beginnings as a free-trade port founded by Sir Stamford Raffles to break the Dutch VOC monopolistic trade practices in the Malay Archipelago, Singapore had developed rapidly. Now decades into her independence, the Singapore’s maritime industry continues to contribute about seven percent (7%) of Singapore’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) annually. While this story of Singapore’s growth as an important maritime port and player in the global shipping industry is well-known, literature on the history of Singapore’s shipping industry very often missed out on the human players within the industry especially in the post-war years and early independence era.<br><br>This thesis thus aims to focus on the people within the shipping industry, concentrating on the skills training and development of the maritime professionals, during the 1960s to the 1980s. It looks at the options open to those interested in careers within the maritime industry. In particular, the transition from the apprenticeship program of the 1950s and 1960s to the diploma program offered by the Singapore Polytechnic would be examined as part of the professionalization of the maritime industry.<br><br>While both pathways led to the same outcome of becoming a professional maritime engineer, the development, demands and rigor of these two pathways were vastly different. This thesis thus aims to trace the historical development of the two different training pathways and examine how each pathway contributed to the rise and development of the maritime professionals in Singapore.