Sembcorp Marine Faces Skilled Worker Shortage

Sembcorp Marine has announced that the group continues to face Covid-19 supply chain constraints and a shortage of skilled workers.

In a statement posted on its website on Monday, the company said foreign workers who left Singapore over the past year could not return due to ongoing border controls in countries such as India and Bangladesh. The improving Singapore economy has also led to increased competition for foreign labor already in the country, resulting in the attrition of labor to competing industries, Sembcorp Marine noted, adding that the shortage of skilled workers has impacted the execution and scheduled completion of some of its projects.

“The group continues to work closely with our customers to coordinate and re-schedule project completions,” Sembcorp Marine said in a company statement.

“This remains a key priority, together with the health and safety of our workers, customers, vendors and partners. While discussions are ongoing, there has been no cancellation to-date of any of our existing projects,” the company added in the statement.

“The group is actively sourcing for skilled workers from other countries and is working with the relevant authorities to expedite their entry into Singapore,” the company went on to state.

Sembcorp Marine warned that with the re-introduction of Covid-19 measures in recent weeks, including tighter border controls, the group’s operations could be further impacted by workforce supply and quarantine restraints. The company said current and future restrictions on travel and transportation could also disrupt global supply chains.

Sembcorp Marine describes itself as an integrated brand offering one-stop engineering solutions for the offshore, marine, and energy industries. The company focuses on four areas: rigs and floaters, repairs and upgrades, offshore platforms, and specialized shipbuilding, according to its website. Sembcorp Marine is headquartered in Singapore and has locations in Brazil, Norway, and the UK.

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