SINGAPORE - Interactive games and a 360-degree video of life on board a container ship are among the attractions on a bus that will travel across the island to show people Singapore's rich maritime heritage.
The moving showcase, aimed at those aged between seven and 16, will visit schools and Safra clubs, among other venues, to inspire young people to join the maritime sector, which is expected to turn out about 5,000 jobs by 2025.
It was launched by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) on Friday (July 26) at Canberra Secondary School in Sembawang.
Done in conjunction with Singapore's bicentennial celebrations, the bus will also feature panels that profile prominent figures in the country's maritime history. They include 19th-century merchant Seah Eu Chin, who helped set up Tan Tock Seng Hospital,and unionist R.A. Hamid, who helped form the Singapore Organisation of Seamen.
In the next six months, it will travel to 37 schools and seven community spaces such as the Jurong Regional Library and Safra clubs.
At some locations, people can attend a stop-motion workshop to develop their own maritime-themed animation clips.
Speaking at its launch, MPA chief executive Quah Ley Hoon said the bus highlights the "critical role" of the maritime industry in Singapore's economy.
It provides jobs for about 170,000 workers and contributes around 7 per cent of Singapore's gross domestic product (GDP).
Last year, Singapore's GDP was about $491.2 billion and 7 per cent would amount to about $34.4 billion.
Ms Quah also noted the rich maritime history of the Sembawang area, which in the early 20th century was home to the Singapore Naval Base, which became the Sembawang Shipyard in 1968 after Singapore's independence.
Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan, who was at the launch, hopes the maritime bus will "inspire younger Singaporeans to join the exciting careers in the maritime industry". Mr Khaw is also an MP for Sembawang GRC.
Seafaring cadet Calista Chan said her nautical studies diploma course at Singapore Polytechnic's Singapore Maritime Academy has trained her to be independent.
The 20-year-old, who is in the final year of her four-year course, said it required her to be at sea for a total of 12 months, during which she gained first-hand experience of life on board a vessel as she travelled to ports in China and South America.
"It is very different from the typical 9 to 5 job in the office. It's very hands-on and requires a lot of skills, including survival skills and how to handle different types of vessels."
