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IT'S A WRAP: The Singapore Shawl founder Shelley Siu (fourth from left), 63, with employees (from left) Linda Lee, 60; Chong Chee Lee, 53; Linda Leong, 50; Gabriel Lim, 30, and Elsa Carino, 37. -- ST PHOTO: DESMOND LIM
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THIS social enterprise may sell just shawls, but its growth is testimony to how Singaporeans from all walks of life have benefited from rising visitor numbers.
The Singapore Shawl, which is self-funded, helps retrenched women and housewives get jobs sewing designs on shawls that are presented regularly to foreign dignitaries and visitors here.
It started with just six staff members three years ago, and now has about 20 employees.
Among those it has helped is Mrs J.J. Lim, 43, who was able to supplement her family income by up to $800 a month since she was employed in mid-2006.
'It's hard for someone over 40 to find work, so I'm grateful for this job,' she said.
Minister of State (Trade and Industry) S. Iswaran yesterday held up The Singapore Shawl as one of many beneficiaries of rising tourist numbers - a record 10.3 million last year, generating $13.8 billion in tourist receipts.
But the industry also needs manpower to serve visitors, and up to 60,000 jobs will be created in the sector over the next three years, he noted.
The Government has targeted 17 million visitors and $30 billion in receipts by 2015.
Mr Iswaran was replying to questions from Mr Teo Ser Luck (Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC) and Ms Penny Low (Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC) on the benefits and challenges of hosting major events like the first-ever night Formula One race here in September.
He said to date, more than 4,300 people have enrolled in a scheme launched last October to train 74,000 tourism sector workers such as guides.
Mr Inderjit Singh (Ang Mo Kio GRC) raised the concern that workers from hotels here would be poached to staff the integrated resorts (IRs) being built.
Trade and Industry Minister Lim Hng Kiang said his ministry is working with industry players to manage this 'reshuffling' of manpower.
'You cannot have all the new employees in the IRs just coming from new sources. They'll be employing some of the people from existing hotels,' he said.
'We have worked down to great detail what are the vocations, and Members might be interested to know the biggest challenge is really animal trainers.
'Because with the IRs, and especially Resorts World, they are looking at animal trainers and the only people today employed as animal trainers are at our zoo.
'So we have to work with all the various entities to make sure that for every vocation, we train the people ahead of time,' he added.
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