Short training programmes lasting two to three hours are in the works for employees in the hospitality sector, so that they can upgrade their skills without missing out much on work.
Such bite-size training will help the manpower-strapped industry step up staff training while managing disruptions to work.
The training is part of a tie-up between the National Trades Union Congress' Hospitality and Consumer Business Cluster (NTUC HCBC) and 21 industry partners.
Launched yesterday, the Hospitality ABC Network addresses skill gaps of employees in areas such as hotel and accommodation services, clubs and resorts. It aims to provide training sessions that cover topics including leadership, management, digital, and operations.
Participants can choose to attend online, face-to-face or hands-on classes. These short training programmes, however, will not give any certification to the participants.
One way skill gaps in the industry will be identified is through focus group discussions with hospitality associations and organisations. Upcoming sessions, which target the engineering and facilities professionals in the sector, will be jointly organised by NTUC HCBC, Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) and the Institute of Technical Education (ITE). The network will develop a programme plan after the focus group discussions.
At the launch, NTUC Secretary-General Chan Chun Sing stressed the importance for the hospitality sector to stay ahead of the digital disruption wave.
"(We aim to place) tomorrow's unemployed into tomorrow's jobs. We want to equip our workers... way ahead - even before they lose their jobs - so they are prepared for tomorrow's jobs," he said.
To appeal to hospitality workers, Mr Chan suggested that adult education should cater to their fast-paced lifestyles. "Adult education cannot just be about going to schools for three months, six months, for a long course," he said.
As a taster to the training sessions, hospitality leaders had a masterclass yesterday which focused on using artificial intelligence to generate profit in the industry.
Royal Plaza on Scotts is one such organisation facing a manpower crunch - last year, it took the hotel about 200 days to fill a housekeeping attendant position.
Mr Patrick Fiat, general manager and chief experience officer of Royal Plaza on Scotts, believes the courses will be more viable for staff as the online and in-class options give them increased accessibility and flexibility.
Previously, the hotel had toyed with the idea of a two-hour training session for the housekeeping team, but found that they could only spare four employees for an hour.
Ms Margaret Heng, executive director of the Singapore Hotel Association, said: "Hotels have... (embraced) technology solutions to stay smart for a more seamless guest experience."
She added that employees need skills such as in digital marketing and data analytics to stay relevant in today's digitalised world.
