More Tourism Courses To Help Meet Demand For Talent
Recognising the growth in tourism in Singapore and the subsequent need for talent, more polytechnics have started offering courses in Tourism and Resort Management.

Singapore Polytechnic’s School of Business is offering a Diploma in Tourism and Resort Management which is a three-year programme aimed at offering students “a broad-based diploma in Tourism and Resort Management with strong business fundamentals and with emphasis on service quality”.

The Singapore Polytechnic said that a comprehensive survey of practitioners in the tourism and hospitality industry in Singapore had indicated a need for such a diploma.

The Integrated Resorts, in particular, are expected to create an estimated 10,000 direct jobs and an additional 25,000 jobs in the wider economy. “The new diploma will meet the demands of the industry and prepare students to keep pace with changes in the industry,” it said.

The course aims to provide students with an understanding of the tourism and hospitality industry and its practices, develop an understanding of essential business concepts, equip students with effective service and communication skills and enable students to use information technology as a productivity tool.

Another polytechnic recognizing the growth in the tourism sector, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, has also launched a Tourism & Resort Management (TRM) Course.

The institute which launched its course with a cruise aboard the SuperStar Virgo said the three-day, two-night trip to Kuala Lumpur and back was one of the key features of the Polytechnic’s learning on-site programmes to inculcate a service mindset in its students.

“Star Cruises is one of our partners for the new TRM course. Its cruise ships are floating resorts with several similar features to those found in the Integrated Resorts that will come up in 2009. Our students will therefore be exposed to the different aspects of the IRs such as food and beverage, leisure, travel, events and retail,” said Mr Michael Chiam, a senior lecturer at the School of Business & Accountancy (BA) which will be running the course.

Ngee Ann is expecting an intake of 80 students for the TRM course.

Temasek Polytechnic has also launched a new Diploma in Leisure and Resort Management. In addition, they also offer two other tourism-related diplomas in Culinary and Catering Management and Hospitality and Tourism Managment.

Mr James Tan, the Director, Resource Development at the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), said: “The STB is committed to developing a pool of competent professionals and effective managers who will drive the growth of Singapore’s tourism industry. The STB has set targets to triple tourism receipts, double visitor arrivals and create an additional 100,000 jobs by 2015.  With the Singapore Flyer coming along in 2008 and the Integrated Resorts in 3 - 4 years' from the time of award, it is timely now to start embarking on new training capacity necessary to build up a skilled tourism workforce.”