HOTEL AND CATERING TRAINING CENTRE (Training of personnel and employment opportunities)

Mr Ng Yeow Chong asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Labour (a) whether the Hotel and Catering Training Centre will be expanded to train more personnel in view of expansion in the hotel trade; and (b) the number of employment opportunities which will become available from the hotels under construction and from those now awaiting planning approval.

Mr Sia Kah Hui (for the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Labour): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Hotel and Catering Training Centre at 305 Tanglin Road will be extended to train more personnel in view of the expansion in the hotel trade.

Since the introduction of the training scheme for the hotel and catering industry in May last year, nearly 600 persons have completed training as receptionists, cashiers, waitresses, waiters, barmen, room stewards and stewardesses. Plans are afoot to expand the training centre to provide for a wider scope of training as well as increasing the intake of trainees to meet the expected increase in the demand for hotel and catering personnel. In this connection, we have sought assistance from the Colombo Plan and the International Labour Organisation for expert staff, equipment and fellowships for local people. It is proposed to build a teaching hotel for this purpose.

At present, there are about 1,800 hotel rooms in Singapore suitable for tourists and the industry employs about 2,700 workers. There are 15 hotel pro jects with a combined room capacity of slightly more than 4,500 rooms under way. The number of workers required to man the hotels is estimated on the basis of one and a half workers per room. With the completion of these 15 hotels, there will be employment opportunities for nearly 7,000 persons in the industry. It is estimated that by 1970 this industry will employ a total of 9,500 workers.

Mr Ng Yeow Chong: Will the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Labour state whether there will be facilities for training the top and middle hotel management staff and, if not, whether arrangements will be made to send these trainees abroad?

Mr Sia Kah Hui: At present, there are no facilities available. But when the new hotel school is built, there may be a possibility of training the middle-rung hotel management staff, but not the top-ranking ones. At the moment, there are a few who are on training courses abroad for management staff.