SINGAPORE - A website that aims to match jobseekers to internships and job opportunities in the maritime industry was launched on Wednesday (July 5).

Those interested can register for a free account on the site, dubbed the Maritime Singapore Connect, and upload their resumes.

Maritime companies can contact interested candidates via the site whenever a suitable role arises.

Set up by the Maritime Singapore Connect Office, an initiative by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, the site aims to provide information on all things maritime - from education and career options to the scholarships and management trainee programmes offered by maritime employers in Singapore.

The site also features videos and stories of individuals in the industry, highlighting the range of career options available.

More than 160 tertiary students were given an overview of the website at the fourth Singapore Maritime Dialogue, hosted by Dr Lam Pin Min, Senior Minister of State for Transport and Health, on Wednesday (July 5). It was held at the auditorium of the PSA Building in Alexandra Road.

"Taking a job within the maritime sector may conjure images of working under the sun in a tough and greasy environment. This is quite far from the truth," Dr Lam said. "Many functions in the port are becoming more advanced, more automated. For example, a crane operator can now manage more cranes in the comfort of an air-conditioned room."

He added that the wave of digitalisation and transformation will go beyond jobs in the port. The industry "will need many data scientists, robotics experts and cyber-security specialists to complement the slew of exciting careers in chartering, ship-broking, maritime law and arbitration, and marine insurance", he said.

During the event, Dr Lam, together with industry players and students, also discussed how the public and private sectors can overcome challenges faced by the industry.

Singapore was named the top maritime capital of the world for the third consecutive time in the Menon Report released in April 2017. The study by Norwegian consultancy firm Menon Economics surveyed more than 250 industry experts globally.

The Port of Singapore was also recently named the best seaport in Asia for the 29th time, at the 2017 Asia Freight, Logistics and Supply Chain Awards.