15,000 Sentosa workers to undergo upskilling under new framework to lift tourism sector
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The new framework will focus on core areas, including wellness and regenerative tourism.
PHOTO: ST FILE
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SINGAPORE – A framework launched on July 4 aims to train 15,000 workers across Sentosa in a range of skills in a bid to boost the local tourism sector.
The new framework will focus on core areas, including customer experience, wellness and regenerative tourism, sustainability, data and artificial intelligence.
The initiative is a joint venture between the Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) and NTUC LearningHub. The organisations signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on July 4, committing them to a three-year collaboration, which is supported by Resorts World Sentosa (RWS), whose staff makes up 70 per cent of workers on Sentosa.
The NTUC LearningHub will develop and offer courses and workshops according to problem statements raised by the SDC and island partners.
The Singapore Tourism Board and the LearningHub also signed an MOU, which aims to upskill the workforce in the wider tourism sector across Singapore.
The new training scheme, known as One Sentosa Transformation and Equipping Platform (1-Step), will offer a range of programmes, many new to Singapore, to workers from across 200 or so establishments on the island, comprising hotels, attractions, food and beverage outlets.
The programmes include improving customer experience using data and design thinking, integrating wellness experiences into offerings on Sentosa, creating sustainable tourism practices and personalising visitor experiences through data and AI.
Sentosa will launch 100 projects and initiatives over the next three years, incorporating input from 1-Step courses.
The scheme also aims to engage 2,000 participants over Sentosa Learning Festivals in the next three years, and to have at least 15 island partners attain two tourism-related certifications.
A selection of 1-Step programmes is being offered in the inaugural Learning Festival, which runs from June 24 until July 5, with almost 1,000 participants signing up.
The annual festival will offer tourism workers the opportunity to participate in a range of educational and training programmes, including masterclasses and tours. These courses will be open to the public, with priority slots allocated for workers on Sentosa.
Mr Alvin Tan, Minister of State, Ministry of Trade and Industry, said at the 1-Step launch: “Tourism recovery has gained strong momentum, and we are poised for further growth.
“We must equip ourselves to capitalise on this recovery and growth, and elevate Singapore as a vibrant lifestyle tourism destination.”
Sentosa has recorded a robust recovery in visitor numbers over the past two years, said an SDC spokesman.
“In 2023, visitor arrivals reached 15 million,
“This figure is approximately 75 per cent of our average annual visitorship numbers pre-Covid, signifying our strong recovery.”
