NTUC’s e2i and WDA in partnership with Marina Bay Sands to gear up Singaporeans for new jobs in the tourism industry
17 October 2008
MEDIA RELEASE
1. NTUC’s Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) reaches out not only to workers, but to employers as well, focussing attention on boosting the competitiveness of both workers and employers. e2i partners with inclusive employers to prepare workers with the right attitude and skills to take up jobs with these employers.
2. To this end, e2i is happy to embark on its first large-scale recruitment project with the Marina Bay Sands (MBS) and the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) to reach out to more workers to fill the expected job vacancies in the tourism industry. As an equal opportunities employer, MBS wants to work with e2i and WDA to reach out to workers of all ages and collars. This is in line with the vision of e2i, WDA and the Labour Movement.
Gearing Up for Jobs in Tourism-related sectors
3. e2i and WDA work with CET Centres to get Singaporeans to step forward for re-skilling and be job ready to take on the 60,000 jobs that are expected to be created in tourism industry by 2010.
4. WDA believes that ensuring a sufficient supply of skilled workers is of paramount importance to enhance the competitiveness of the tourism industry. Apart from portable service skills, specialised skills are needed for tourism jobs, such as a facility technician, public area attendant, guest relations executive and even room attendant. To build a pipeline of skilled workers that meet industry needs, WDA has appointed various Continuing and Education Training (CET) centres to offer industry validated Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) training programmes. Such direct access also empowers job seekers and workers in advancing their skills and careers
5. e2i and WDA will equip more Singaporeans to be ready for jobs with the MBS and other tourism-related employers. Working with MBS, e2i will embark on a series of recruitment drives to Screen-Train-Place-and-Train workers for jobs with MBS. In particular, e2i will pro-actively outreach to mature workers, back-to-work women, unemployed, retrenched and low wage workers.
Screen
6. e2i and MBS will reach out and conduct career briefings for mature workers, back-to-work women, retrenched workers, low wage workers, and fresh CSP (Certified Service Professional) graduates. At the career briefing, MBS will share with interested candidates on jobs available and career prospects in MBS.
7. Together, e2i and MBS will screen interested applicants. Job ready candidates with the pre-requisite qualifications, skills or experience will be channelled to MBS for job interviews. Candidates with skills gaps and who need training will be put through pre-employment training.
Train (Pre-Employment Employability Training)
8. Employability coaches at e2i will sign workers with employability gaps on to a customised set of employability and services skills training courses. These courses include (see Annex A for more information):
(a) Employment Camps (ECs) to address the attitudinal and confidence barriers some workers face and help effect a mindset change;
(b) Employability Skills under WDA’s Singapore Employability Skills System (ESS) such as Workplace Literacy and Numeracy, Communication and Relationship Management and Personal Effectiveness and;
(c) CSP Programme to equip workers entering the tourism and service-related industry with a strong service mindset that are essential for all service professionals.
Place-and-Train
9. At this stage, MBS will interview all job ready candidates and offer Letters-of-Intent (LOIs) to short-listed candidates. Thereafter, MBS will work with WDA to arrange for the short-listed candidates to attend relevant WSQ training programmes prior to starting work at MBS. e2i and WDA will also assist job ready candidates who are not short-listed by MBS to find jobs with other employers in other tourism related jobs.
ANNEX A
Pre-Employment Employability Training (PEET)
1. Employability Camp (EC)
An intervention programme which addresses various obstacles that jobseekers face in their job hunting efforts. It constitutes pre-employment training and can be customised for different groups with different needs. As it is customisable, most ECs, on average, are relatively short, i.e. 1 to 3 days.
EC can be customised to the different groups of jobseekers with different issues or obstacles they face when job hunting. Some of these are detailed in the table below:
By addressing the main issues that jobseekers face in their job search efforts, the EC hope to help jobseekers transit into new jobs by setting their expectations right about the current labour market and available opportunities.
As many ECs also teach jobseekers how to deal with interviews and how to market themselves to employers to stand out amongst the crowd, another outcome would be a more confident and motivated participant.
2. ESS – Communication and Relationship Management and Personal Effectiveness
The Singapore Employability Skills System (ESS) comprises a set of generic employability skills which underpin a worker’s effectiveness and improves his work abilities. These foundational skills, portable across all industries, enable workers of all levels to be more employable by helping them adapt better to new job demands, work challenges and changing work environments. As such, these skills complement other specific industry and occupational skills which are specialised or technical by nature.
The ESS was introduced by WDA in November 2004 and piloted from November 2004 to 31 March 2005 and subsequently rolled out from April 2005. The comprehensive phase was launched from April 2006. ESS is designed to build up the individual’s competence in workplace literacy, numeracy and other soft skills. These help the job-seeker prepare for workplace demands and challenges such as using ICT, making decisions, problem solving and so on.
ESS serves as an alternative to traditional qualifications like ‘’N’ or O’ levels. To date, there are about 500,000 local workers without ‘O’ or ‘N’ levels. For them, ESS is as a realistic option, as it is not practical to go back to school and retake the exam. Workers can now use ESS credentials for job recruitment and upgrading training. This will facilitate better job and better pay.
With the ESS credentials, jobseekers can now seek assistance with Career Centres at CDCs and e2i for job placement, career and training advice. Increasingly, industries are also recognising ESS Career Readiness Certificate which is ESS full qualifications encompassing both workplace literacy, numeracy and workplace skills.
3. Certified Service Professional
Aimed at instilling service mind and developing portable service skills and providing the entry into the Tourism and Service-Related Industry, the 5-day Certified Service Professional programme has five distinctive features:
5 Distinctive Features
Entry Requirement
