A new initiative has been introduced aimed at training 15,000 Sentosa workers in various skills to enhance the local tourism sector. The framework prioritizes key areas such as customer experience, wellness, regenerative tourism, sustainability, and data and artificial intelligence.
The partnership between the Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) and NTUC LearningHub marks a significant step forward, formalized through a three-year memorandum of understanding (MOU). Resorts World Sentosa (RWS), which employs 70 percent of Sentosa's workforce, supports this joint initiative. NTUC LearningHub will design and deliver courses and workshops tailored to address challenges identified by SDC and island partners. Additionally, an MOU signed between the Singapore Tourism Board and LearningHub aims to enhance skills across Singapore's broader tourism sector.
The newly launched training initiative, named One Sentosa Transformation and Equipping Platform (1-Step), will provide a diverse array of programs, some of which are groundbreaking in Singapore. These programs are tailored for employees from over 200 establishments on the island, encompassing hotels, attractions, and food and beverage outlets. They include enhancing customer experience through data and design thinking, incorporating wellness activities into Sentosa's offerings, promoting sustainable tourism practices, and using data and AI to personalize visitor experiences.
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. The inaugural Learning Festival, which runs from June 24 to July 5, offers a selection of 1-Step programmes. Almost 1,000 participants have signed up.
The annual festival will feature educational and training programs for tourism workers, including masterclasses and tours. These courses will be available to the general public, with priority given to Sentosa's workforce. 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 capitalize 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, an increase of 20 percent compared with 2022”, the spokesman said. “This figure is approximately 75 percent of our average annual visitorship numbers pre-Covid, signifying our strong recovery”.
