SINGAPORE - With nearly 4,000 job openings in the tourism industry, hospitality school students here are being primed to help Singapore further itsTourism companies are also actively recruiting to support recovery, and the emerging sectors of sustainability and wellness have also made new roles and skill sets necessary, noted Ms Jeannie Lim, Singapore Tourism Board’s assistant chief executive .
As at September 2022, about 65,000 people - or around 78 per cent of the figures in the pre-pandemic year of 2019 - were employed in the tourism industry here. Ms Lim said that opportunities are also ripe in the hotels sector, with 4,000 new hotel rooms coming on stream in 2023 . New hotel openings include Mondrian Singapore Duxton, which is set to open in March; and Raffles Sentosa Resort & Spa, which is set to open in the second half of this year.
Hospitality schools and courses at polytechnics and ITE are also continually improving their curriculum to meet these demands and ensure that students are equipped with the relevant skills to support the industry, said Minister of State for Trade and Industry Low Yen Ling, who was also speaking at Tourism Transformation 2023.
To prepare graduates for emerging career opportunities in the sector, the school’s students have already started incorporating sustainability practices and strategies in their coursework when planning events in support of the industry’s move towards sustainability.