There is always a sea of opportunities in the flourishing maritime industry for the savvy. Sharpen your skills at YMCA-AMC and you may very well be riding a wave to a brighter future.

By Becky Lo

Since the founding of Singapore nearly two centuries ago, she has been a thriving port at the crossroads of the most important sea trade routes in the region. Her prime position has enabled the island state to grow into one of the busiest ports in the world. As such, the booming maritime industry increasingly needs a large pool of talent.

To ride on the waves of this, Srinivasan Chinta decided to further his studies in November 2006. He chose to take up a MBA related to maritime and logistics management awarded by Australian Maritime College (AMC) through the YMCA as he felt that the AMC is “the best place for maritime degrees”.

Srinivasan’s trust in AMC is not unfounded, as it has been ranked as one of the top maritime education institutions in the world. Unlike other MBAs, it has a strong maritime and logistics focus while exploring all the subjects of a traditional MBA. The wide range of insightful modules includes Maritime Law, Ports & Terminals Management and Transformational Leadership, just to name a few. The in-depth study of maritime issues aims to strengthen the students’ skills and knowledge in the field.

Stretching time to its thinnest
Students are also given the option to study at home or at the facilities at YMCA with the AMC course materials that are sent directly to them. This was an important consideration for Srinivasan when he chose his school. Then a project manager at a maritime company called SpecTec, time was a major constraint for him due to the frequent travelling required for his job.

Srinivasan’s professional life was not all that required his attention. “I also need to fulfil my duties as a father to my children, a husband to my wife and as a friend to my friends. Managing all these and allocating time to my MBA was really a great challenge,” recalls Srinivasan, a father of two.

To better utilize his time, Srinivasan would read up on his course materials and relevant books when commuting for work. He also used some of his annual leave for studying and to sit for his examinations.

“I did my best to plan ahead systematically as I know time is a major constraint. I set a three-year target to complete my MBA and whenever I had the opportunity, I took two modules at a time,” elaborates Srinivasan on how he managed his time between work and studies.

Despite the sacrifices, Srinivasan enjoyed immersing in the “feeling of a student life, after many years of work experience”.

His education ally
The school also made things easier by having a flexible curriculum. Hence when Srinivasan was swamped by work due to extensive work-related travels, the flexible curriculum system allowed an extension of deadlines for his course assignments.

Srinivasan shares, “My lecturers and peers were friendly and informative. The administrative staff were also helpful. They were open to any assistance needed related to the program and stayed as a bridge between AMC and the students.”

After much careful planning and remarkable perseverance, Srinivasan managed to complete the 12 modules required for graduation. The taste of success was certainly sweet for him, as with his additional qualifications, Srinivasan was promoted to become the Senior Project Manager of the Asia Pacific region at SpecTec and is now trusted with more responsibilities.

He finds his MBA studies with AMC very useful in his work. “The new skills and knowledge have put me in a very confident position as they can help me provide better solutions to the customers,” Srinivasan says.

Going back to school
To people who are thinking of picking up the books after a few years at work, Srinivasan recommends an education with a trustworthy institution like YMCA. “There are good class room facilities, timely tutoring lectures and helpful administrative staff. Frequent visits of lecturers and professors from the related universities to discuss issues are enriching too,” he shares.

But part-time studying is never easy, especially when juggling a full-time career. To this, Srinivasan advises, “Set goals and have determination. Work on the correct strategies, a proper action plan and good time management. The right goal and constant self-motivation helps you not to lose focus while study.”