Faced with a labour crunch - which is set to intensify with the opening of the two integrated resorts by 2010 - tourism companies have been searching for ways to retain talent.
Yesterday, three of those firms were recognised for their efforts to train and keep staff in what has become one of Singapore's hottest sectors.
Singapore Zoo, Singapore Flyer, and Underwater World were given awards by the Workforce Development Agency (WDA) during an event that brought together some of the country's biggest tourism players.
Speaking at the Association of Singapore Attractions dinner, Member of Parliament Teo Ser Luck noted the importance of developing 'software' besides 'hardware'.
'In Singapore, we do not just face manpower competition locally but also from the regional cities. Hence, it is imperative that Singapore builds a skilled and capable tourism workforce,' said Mr Teo, who is Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Community Development, Youth & Sports, and Transport.
As of 2006, there were 120,000 people working in the tourism industry, according to the latest figures released by the WDA. The Government hopes to have enough people to fill another 60,000 jobs in the next three years.
In recent months, some companies have upped their training budgets, while others have added more courses and sent more staff for training.
The chief executive of the Tourism Management Institute of Singapore, Mr H.P. Loi, said his school has seen course enrolment jump by 50 per cent in the past six months.
Meanwhile, Singapore Zoo has added more courses and upped its budget by 50 per cent. It also provides training for its 322 employees in areas ranging from ground operations to animal training.
One of them is 25-year-old trainer-presenter Nurfarehan Mohd Khairy.
'You do get young people who think it's easy to be in tourism and it's glamorous, but it's not. It's a challenging field, you have to keep upgrading yourself,' said Ms Nurfarehan.
This article was first published in The Straits Times on 4 July 2008.
