NTUC’s e2i and WDA in partnership with Marina Bay Sands

e2i to gear up 2,000 Singaporeans to be job ready for new work opportunities in the tourism industry

1.     NTUC’s Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) reaches out not only to workers, but to employers, e2i focuses its attention on boosting the competitiveness of both workers and employers.  e2i partners with inclusive employers, to prepare job ready 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 will outreach to mature workers, back-to-work women, unemployed, retrenched and low wage workers to get them 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 2,000 or more candidates to be ready for jobs with the MBS and other tourism-related employers.  Working with MBS, e2i will embark on six recruitment drives to Screen-Train-Place-and-Train workers for service jobs.

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 help workers identify their employability gaps and sign them on to a customised set of employability and services skills training courses to be job ready.These courses include:

1. Employment Camps (ECs) to address the attitudinal and confidence barriers  some workers face and help effect a mindset change;



2. Employability Skills under WDA’s Singapore Employability Skills System (ESS) such as Workplace Literacy and Numeracy, Communication and Relationship Management and Personal Effectiveness and;



3. 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.