MBS seeks to hire those who underwent SPUR

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Marina Bay Sands seeks to hire those who underwent retraining under SPUR
By Pearl Forss, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 28 January 2009 1924 hrs

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Artist's impression of Marina Bay Sands IR

SINGAPORE: Marina Bay Sands is ramping up its hiring of retrenched professionals who have undergone retraining under the Professional Conversion Programme.

This comes after the Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience (SPUR) was expanded in this year's Budget to give professionals more subsidies to undergo training and take up jobs in a different industry.

When it was first announced that the Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort will open its doors at the end of this year, many in the industry were worried about labour shortage.

But with the current recession, it appears this may no longer be the case.

Sands has been busy interviewing 8,000 rank-and-file workers retrained by the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) recently.

It's now working with the labour movement's training arm to fill 2,000 supervisory and management positions in the integrated resort.

Sands said it will consider hiring retrained professionals for these positions.

Ang Hin Kee, CEO, Employment & Emplyability Institute, E2i, said: “They've agreed to work together to see how we can take advantage of this budget which will provide more resources. Let’s take advantage of the fact that there are more talents who may be interested in entering the IR industry, and that is win-win for both.

“Someone with prior experience in another industry who is familiar with dealing and managing a group of people, working shifts can actually move across and take up these positions. This alleviates the manpower crunch from the hospitality trade because if everybody starts to take from the same pool, that pool will dry up soon.”

Training institutes including polytechnics and universities are currently designing professional conversion programmes for those interested in joining the tourism sector.

90 per cent of the course fees will be subsidised by the government.

More details on these programmes will be released in February. -CNA/vm

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SPUR seems nice on paper, but :

1. 90% of what amounts of course fees? capped at what amount?

2. what kinds of courses available that can do so much wonder like helping a person switch line successfully? Why people study so much when this course can make you a professional ? How long can such courses be? 1 day? 1 month? 1 year?

3. What is the success rate of spur?

kramnave SG

"Sands said it will consider hiring retrained professionals for these positions.

Ang Hin Kee, CEO, Employment & Emplyability Institute, E2i, said: “They've agreed to work together to see how we can take advantage of this budget which will provide more resources. Let’s take advantage of the fact that there are more talents who may be interested in entering the IR industry, and that is win-win for both."

At no point did they say or insinuate that they are seeking to hire those who underwent SPUR. It sounds more like they are expanding their pool of potential hires. No difference from seeking candidates through other alternatives.