Speech at University of Nevada Las Vegas Singapore Graduation Ceremony
Mr Lee Yi Shyan, Minister of State, Intercontinental Hotel
Mr David Ashley
President of University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV)
Mr Stewart Mann
Dean of William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration, UNLV
Dr Andy Nazarechuk
Dean of UNLV Singapore
Graduates from the Class of 2009
Ladies and Gentlemen
Introduction
1. Good morning. I am pleased to be here with you to celebrate the achievements of the first international campus of the University of Nevada Las Vegas, or UNLV, in short. Today, we not only welcome the inaugural batch of graduating students, we are also introducing new capabilities for the hospitality sector. Having a systematic approach to new capability building is so important to secure our future.
Long-term prospects remain bright
2. Much has been said about the current economic challenges Singapore and the world face. The prospect of protracted recession not withstanding, Singapore is dealing with the economic crisis from a position of strength. We are optimistic about our future not because we know what lies ahead, but what we can do in this time to prepare ourselves to seize the opportunities at the upturn.
3. In a matter of months, we shall witness the opening of the two very key pieces of tourism infrastructure – the Marina Bay SandsTM and the Resorts World at Sentosa. These two integrated resorts are expected to create 20,000 jobs when fully operational, adding economic spin-offs to many related and supporting industries.
4. Singapore's tourism sector, like many other destinations, has been impacted as a result of the global economic downturn. Against the same month last year, this April recorded a smaller decline of 6.1% in visitor arrivals to reach 780,000 visitors, as compared with the double-digit decline seen from January to March this year. Singapore has built a strong base for its tourism sector, and is well-equipped to ride through the challenging times. Our event calendar will be colourful and exciting for the coming months too. Towards the end of the year, we will play host to the world's only FORMULA ONE night race, and in the fourth quarter, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2009 Forum. Next year, we are host to the inaugural Youth Olympic Games. Further down the road, we shall usher in the opening of the International Cruise Terminal and Wildlife Reserves Singapore's River Safari. In short, the tourism sector will be substantially lifted. We will need skilled and passionate people in this sector to bring it to the world-class level.
Government assistance: SPUR and BOOST
5. This is why we emphasise so much on lifelong learning, acquiring new skills and re-skilling. Our highly skilled workforce has been a key competitive advantage but this advantage needs to be continuously refreshed and renewed. Working closely with our tripartite partners – the unions and employers – the Government launched the $650 million Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience (or SPUR) to intensify training and skills upgrading of the workers during this slowdown to build new capabilities for the upturn. We are not taking the recession lying down.
6. For instance, a new initiative by the Food, Drinks and Allied Workers' Union and the National Trades Union Congress Learning Hub garnered the support of some 32 hotels to reaffirm their commitment to training. The initiative, which is supported under SPUR, aims to train 8,000 workers from the participating hotels by the end of 2010, and will provide better coordination between the hotels' training needs and liaison with different training providers. I hope that more companies can tap on SPUR.
7. To further help businesses in the tourism sector, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) launched a $90 million initiative known as "Building On Opportunities to Strengthen Tourism" (or BOOST) in February 2009. Under BOOST, the "2009 Reasons to enjoy Singapore" marketing campaign was rolled out to generate more awareness of Singapore as a tourist hub and to stimulate demand for travel to Singapore. STB has collaborated with our industry partners to offer attractive and value-for-money travel deals. The campaign has been well-received. For instance, we have attracted over 2,500 Malaysians to the Singapore Flyer and Jurong Bird Park.
8. In addition to promoting visitorship to Singapore, BOOST also looks at enhancing STB's current assistance schemes and ways to increase the Government's funding support to grow and improve jobs in the sector. For instance, companies could tap on BOOST's “Training Industry Professionals in Tourism (TIP-iT) Plus”. This is an incentive scheme that supports manpower development through the acquisition and application of specialised skills or new capabilities. It offers companies that provide new or an enhanced range of tourism products incentives to acquire the corresponding skill sets. This will contribute directly to the overall development of the tourism landscape in Singapore. In the case of the integrated resorts, professionals can acquire and apply specialised skills or new capabilities such as in casino gaming or theme park management under this scheme. Under TIP-iT Plus, companies will enjoy enhanced funding support of up to 90 per cent of allowable costs for certifiable training held overseas as well as for training conducted locally by overseas trainers
Continuing Education and Training (CET) framework for the tourism sector
9. To inject vibrancy into the tourism sector and deliver a great experience for visitors, we will need the right people with the right skills and a high level of service standards. This is the reason why the Singapore Workforce Development Agency, or WDA, has been working with STB to build the National Continuing Education and Training (CET) infrastructure for the tourism sector.
10. The tourism sector was one of the first industries to develop skills frameworks under the WSQ System. Since its inception, an estimated 250,000 individuals have participated in Tourism WSQ training, obtaining about 590,000 Statements of Attainment (SOAs), and 6,300 full WSQ qualifications.
11. UNLV has been one of the early training providers that WDA has worked with in promoting CET and WSQ training in the tourism sector. For its contribution towards WSQ training, UNLV Singapore was recognised for its efforts and officially appointed as a CET Centre in July 2008. As an Institution of Higher Learning with Specialised Programmes in Hospitality Management, UNLV Singapore is becoming a building block in providing CET upgrade paths for professionals, managers, and executives.
12. Since its opening in 2006, more than 200 students have been admitted to UNLV's full-time Undergraduate Masters and Degree programmes. It has another 260 trainees in its nationally-recognised WSQ Diploma programmes in tourism-related fields such as in Hospitality, Food & Beverage as well as the Meetings, Incentives, Conventions & Exhibitions (MICE) and Events sub-sectors.
13. UNLV Singapore has also worked closely with WDA to create upgrading pathways for existing hospitality professionals as well as for new entrants from other industries. First, it has made it easier for WSQ Diploma holders to pursue an undergraduate degree by granting them credit exemptions.
14. Second, UNLV Singapore has rolled out the intensive study-and-work Professional Conversion Programme or PCP for Hospitality Managers. This $3 million programme, which is funded under SPUR, is targeted at professionals who are currently working in non-tourism related jobs and would like to switch their career path to the growing hospitality industry.
15. There are several "records" we are making today. We are not only witnessing the first batch of graduating students for UNLV Singapore, but we are also witnessing the first three scholarship recipients for the PCP Hospitality Managers. These three recipients have recently begun their studies in UNLV's Masters Programme and are now undergoing internships with the Intercontinental Hotels Group and the Royal Plaza on Scotts. Come August, other established names such as Conrad Centennial Singapore, Shangri-La Hotel Singapore, and the Fullerton Singapore, will also be coming onboard to provide similar internships opportunities to PCP participants.
Example of a PCP scholarship recipient: Christopher Goh
16. One of the three PCP scholarship recipients is Christopher Goh. Christopher was not afraid to take up new challenges. He started as an Assistant Sales Manager in the IT industry and took up a part-time degree to hone his managerial skills and make progress in his career. Subsequently, Christopher applied for the PCP for Hospitality Managers. Christopher is passionate about meeting people and wishes to join the tourism sector to ride with the growth of the industry. With the PCP Scholarship, Christopher will be attached to various departments and gain hands-on experience to better understand the hotel's operations. He will also learn the ropes to take on supervisory positions during his internship with Royal Plaza on Scotts. Christopher will be ready to take off when the economy recovers.
Conclusion
17. To UNLV Singapore's graduating class of 2009, today marks an important milestone for everyone of you who had the foresight to take up the programme. I am confident that you are now much better skilled and prepared to take on new positions and challenges ahead. I commend your efforts in upgrading yourself and I know that the future belongs to those who never cease learning. Thank you.