Accommodation Services Career Guide 2005/2006 singapore workforce development agency 1 Marina Boulevard #16-01 One Marina Boulevard Singapore 018989 Tel: 65 6883 5885 Fax: 65 6512 1111 Email: wda_enquiry@wda.gov.sg Website: www.wda.gov.sg singapore workforce development agency The Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). WDA leads and drives workforce development in Singapore. Its mission is to enhance the employability and competitiveness of employees and job seekers, thereby building a workforce that meets the changing needs of Singapore’s economy. The agency works closely with industries to identify skills gaps, and develop continuing education and training (CET) programmes to address the manpower needs of the industries. WDA’s CET programmes place a strong focus on building competencies that are relevant to industries and will enhance employability. It works with training providers in developing curriculum and building up their capabilities and training standards. It promotes its programmes to industries as well as job seekers, and work with the unions and CDCs to help job seekers find jobs, and acquire the right skills for the jobs. For more information, please visit http://www.wda.gov.sg The Accommodation Services* industry contributed about S$1 billion 1 (or 0.6%) of Singapore’s Gross Domestic Product and employed around 25,000 people (or 1% of the workforce) 2 . Most of the jobs are found in large establishments (94%) and are mainly in service and sales positions. The employment outlook in the accommodation services industry remains optimistic in 2005 and 2006. Based on job vacancy trends in 2005, the executive 3 jobs in demand include sales and marketing managers and administrative and related associate professionals. The non-executive 4 jobs in demand include room stewards, restaurant attendants, guest relations officers and chefs. The industry-specific skills 5 in demand include revenue/ yield management for the executives and housekeeping for the non-executives. The employability skills 6 in demand include customer service and interpersonal/ communication skills. HIGHLIGHTS ACCOMMODATION SERVICES CAREER GUIDE 2005/2006 01 (*) In this report, the accommodation services industry includes food and beverage outlets operating in hotels. Employment 100 persons and above Less than 10 persons (2%) 10 to 99 persons ACCOMMODATION SERVICES CAREER GUIDE 2005/2006 03 02 3 The Accommodation Services industry consists of hotels, lodgings and boarding houses, chalets, camping sites and other provision of short stay accommodation. Almost one quarter (24%) of the hotels are located in Orchard and another one quarter (or 25%) in Downtown Core areas* and along Marina. Hotels located in Chinatown and Singapore River make up 20% of total establishments. Source: Department Of Statistics (DOS), 2003 Chart 2: Employment and Establishments Most of the jobs (88%) are found in large establishments (employing 100 persons and above). Medium-sized firms (employing 10 to 99 persons) form 42% of total establishments. Hotels are the largest employers Chart 1: Employment by Sub-clusters Most of the jobs are found mainly in large establishments Characteristics Characteristics 8% 92% Hotels Lodgings and Boarding Houses, Chalets, Camping sites and Other Provision of Short-Stay Accommodation Source: DOS: Economic Survey Series (ESS), 2003 Note: (*) Include hotels located along Bras Basah Road, Victoria Street and North Bridge Road. Establishments Less than 10 persons 24% 34% 42% 10 to 99 persons 100 persons and above 10% 88% Executives Others Clerical Cleaners, Labourers & Related Workers Service & Sales Workers 30% 21% 19% 6% 24% ACCOMMODATION SERVICES CAREER GUIDE 2005/2006 05 04 Chart 3: Employment Profile by Occupational Groups Source: Ministry of Manpower (MOM): Labour Force Survey (LFS), 2004 Based on the National Manpower Demand and Skills Needs Survey (NMDSS), the employment outlook in the accommodation services industry remains optimistic in 2005 and 2006. Some of the key jobs in demand in 2005 are highlighted in Table 1. About 3 in every 10 workers in the accommodation services industry are in service and sales positions such as chefs, hotel receptionists and room stewards. Almost one-third (33%) of the workers are below 30 years old, which are slightly higher than 28% in the overall services sector. and are mainly in service and sales positions Characteristics Employment Outlook Table 1: Jobs in Demand Sources: 1) MOM: Job Vacancy Survey (JVS), 2005 Q1 2) NMDSS, 2005 3) The Straits Times (ST) Recruit Section (Saturday), Jan - Jun 2005 Note: The jobs in demand featured are not arranged in any order of ranking. Hotel Receptionists Administrative & Related Associate Professionals Chefs Doormen Guest Relations Officers Restaurant Attendants Laundry & Dry Cleaning Workers Private Security Guards Room Stewards Sales & Marketing Managers ACCOMMODATION SERVICES CAREER GUIDE 2005/2006 07 06 Skills In Demand Major Occupations The industry-specific and employability skills essential for executives and non- executives are presented in Tables 2 and 3 respectively. Customer service skills are more crucial for non-executives. Please refer to Singapore Workforce Development Agency’s (WDA) website http://app.wda.gov.sg/employerdetails. asp?employerid=168 for information on the Singapore Employability Skills System. The employability skills are generic and portable skills that can be used in every industry. They enable workers to be more employable and better adapt to new job demands, work challenges and changing work environments. Executive Positions Examples of Occupations Salary Range 7 (1 st to 3 rd quartile) Main Responsibilities Sources: 1) Accommodation Services Industry Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), 2005. 2) NMDSS, 2005 Note: The skills in demand featured are not arranged in any order of ranking. Non-Executive Positions Customer Service Table 3: Non-Executive Industry-Specific Skills Employability Skills Catering Housekeeping Food & Beverage Service Front Office Operations Health & Workplace Safety Workplace Literacy & Numeracy Interpersonal/ Communication Finance Revenue/ Yield Management Human Resource Marketing, Sales & Branding Customer Service Problem-Solving & Decision-Making Interpersonal/ Communication Leadership Table 2: Executive Industry-Specific Skills Employability Skills • Supervises and takes responsibility for the housekeeping department. • Establishes standards of cleanliness. Executive Housekeeper Gross 8 : $2,500 – 7,000* Restaurant & Other Catering Services Manager Basic 9 : $2,060 – 3,000 Gross: $2,500 – 3,500 • Supervises the operation of the restaurant. • Ensures that the quality of food, beverage and service is in accordance with organisation guidelines. Bartender Basic: $1,074 – 1,314 Gross: $1,384 – 1,919 • Serves customers with drinks and light snacks in bars. • Maintains inventory of liquor and other bar supplies and may be involved in other food preparations. Chef Basic: $1,231 – 2,586 Gross: $1,478 – 2,988 • Prepares food in the kitchen. Hotel Porter Basic: $730 – 975 Gross: $985 – 1,328 • Helps hotel guests with their luggage and shows them to their rooms. • Runs errands and deals with enquiries from guests. ACCOMMODATION SERVICES CAREER GUIDE 2005/2006 09 08 Non-Executive Positions Main Responsibilities Major Occupations Hotel Receptionist Basic: $857 – 1,487 Gross: $1,200 – 1,606 Examples of Occupations Salary Range 7 (1 st to 3 rd quartile) Housekeeper Basic: $1,009 – 1,929 Gross: $1,440 – 2,357 • Supervises the housekeeping attendants. • Checks on the cleanliness of guest rooms and public areas. Laundry & Dry Cleaning Worker Basic: $818 – 1,114 Gross: $1,084 – 1,382 Room Steward Basic: $707 – 1,115 Gross: $1,016 – 1,371 • Makes bed, cleans the room and replaces linen, towels and toiletries. Career Pathways Sources: 1) Information on “Main Responsibilities” is taken from WDA’s database. 2) MOM: Report on Wages in Singapore for Wholesale & Retail Trade, and Hotels & Restaurants, Jun 2004. 3) (*) Wage data is taken from WDA, 2005. Sources: 1) Singapore Hotel Association (SHA), 2005 & WDA Notes: (#) A Commis Cook assists the Chef de Partie. He/ She will be assigned to a station and will be rostered to other stations. (^) A Chef de Partie is a specialist in a particular area, like soup, fish, pastry, grill or broiler. He/ She oversees the staff working in his/ her specific department. (+) A Sous Chef takes command of the actual production and supervision of the staff in the kitchen. • Checks guests in and out, takes reservations and deals with payments. Chef de Partie^ Sous Chef + Assistant Executive Chef Executive or Head Chef Room Steward Housekeeping Supervisor Executive Housekeeper Commis Cook # • Sorts, labels, dries, presses and packs clothes. • Operates machinery and equipment in a laundry. ACCOMMODATION SERVICES CAREER GUIDE 2005/2006 11 10 Mr Nizammuddin’s career in the hospitality industry is nothing short of illustrious. Fresh out of National Service with no prior work experience, he joined Hotel Phoenix as a waiter in 1980 with wide eyes and an open heart. For the next 25 years, he slowly rose through the ranks to become the current Rooms Division Director of Grand Mercure Roxy Hotel. Nizammuddin is now responsible for the smooth and efficient operations of the Rooms Division, including the front office, housekeeping, safety and security as well as the fitness centre. He is also in charge of the planning, dealing, organisation and control of resources in the Division. Despite his heavy responsibilities, Nizammuddin does not regret his decision to join the hospitality industry. “I was drawn to the industry by my passion for service,” he explained. “Even to this day, I still enjoy caring for all my guests.” It is no wonder then that the father-of- two sees life in hospitality to be about one’s responsibility and sensitivity towards guests’ needs. According to him, the key to maintaining quality service is care. That, Nizammuddin acknowledges, is also the most challenging facet of the industry. “One of the most exciting aspects of the job for me is the challenge of turning an angry guest into a happy guest, and a complaint into a compliment,” he said. “That is what service is all about.” A memorable experience But Nizammuddin admits that pleasing a guest is no easy task. He remembers an incident years ago when a guest grabbed him by his collar and threatened him when he could not get a room in the fully-booked hotel. Nizammuddin Bin Abdul Hamid Director of Rooms Division, EDC Participant Grand Mercure Roxy Hotel With its challenges and opportunities, the hospitality industry has moulded Nizammuddin Bin Hamid into the self-motivated man he is today. ‘‘If you are goal-oriented and self-motivated, you’ll find that this industry allows for excellent career growth and advancement.” Room Service! “I remained calm the whole time as I was trained to curb my temper and empathise with the guest, regardless of the situation,” he recalled. “The guest was later transferred to another hotel, and he actually came back the very next day to apologise to me.’’ “We even became good friends after that!” In fact, the opportunity to make new friends is another reward the hospitality industry offers. He elaborated, “You make friends with guests, and they keep coming back. Along the way, you become like family to them.” A life-long learning centre The hospitality industry has been like a life-long learning centre for Nizammuddin. It taught him many things that served him well, like problem-solving, communication and leadership skills, as well as the ability to work with a team. But he maintains that he has not learnt all the tricks of the trade yet. He recently enrolled himself in the Executive Development Course (EDC) organised by WDA to gain a better understanding of the fundamentals of hotel revenue management. Evidently, Nizammuddin believes in self- improvement through training. This is something that he tries to pass on to his staff as well. “To stay in this line for as long as I have, you must constantly learn and re-learn to improve yourself.” He encourages job seekers to take up the many challenges and opportunities that the industry offers. “If you’re goal- oriented and self-motivated, you’ll find that this industry allows for excellent career growth and advancement,” he said. “More importantly, you can see and feel yourself moving up, as I did.” Indeed, the sky is the limit as far as the hospitality industry is concerned. Take it from Nizammuddin — he has been there, and he is still moving up. ACCOMMODATION SERVICES CAREER GUIDE 2005/2006 13 12 Ms Annie Lam does not work for money. She works for passion instead. That was why the 22-year-old former insurance agent decided to go with her heart and joined the hospitality industry. It all began when Annie wrote in to Meritus Mandarin Hotel to inquire about a sponsorship on a hotel management course. The management told her about the Hotel Supervisory and Executive Attraction, Training and Retention (STAR) Programme they were conducting in collaboration with WDA and the Singapore Hotel Association, and she has never looked back since. According to Annie, the chance to meet people from different cultures proved too good to resist. “This is a line where I can get to interact with people from different countries,” she explained. “Through them, I get to know and learn about their interestingly different ways of living.” Currently into her second year of the programme, Annie completed her F&B modules doing everything from taking orders, making cocktails and serving guests, to learning about the different international cuisines and wine tasting techniques. For Annie, it is things like these that make the hospitality industry an exciting and challenging place. And she is grateful for the chance to be part of the Hotel STAR programme that allowed her to put into practice what she learnt in class. The road to fulfilment Adapting to the industry, though, did not come easy for Annie. She found the first two weeks hardest to get through as she got used to waking up early for work, and going home late. Coupled with the hours typical of the industry, the period proved challenging for both her and her family. Annie Lam Hotel STAR Trainee Meritus Mandarin She said, “It helped that my family was really supportive. They even organised family outings to match my work schedule, so I don’t miss much of anything.” Now, not only has Annie adjusted well to her new environment, she has made it her personal goal to ensure the satisfaction of all her guests. For example, she makes her guests feel that she is familiar with all their needs by doing little things - like sending important faxes straight up to their rooms. “It’s important that guests know that I’m attentive to their every request. It makes them happy to see that I’m willing to take that extra step for them,” she said. For Annie, the sense of satisfaction and fulfilment she gets is priceless. “Some guests remember my name during their subsequent visits,” she said. “It’s little surprises like these that spur me on to work even harder at improving my service standards.” An ever-growing and vibrant industry At the end of the day, Annie is thankful for the opportunity to be part of a vibrant industry. She foresees further growth in the sector as a result of the future developments of Integrated Resorts in Singapore, providing more opportunities for job seekers everywhere. But she warned that life is not a bed of roses in the industry. “You need to be able to adapt to a fast- paced environment, and to be willing to work hard and fast. But if you like meeting people, have a passion for serving, and are looking for a platform to build your character, then this industry is for you!” Indeed, Annie’s own passion for making people happy has made her a well-liked figure to many guests. ‘‘ if you like meeting people, have a passion for serving, and are looking for a platform to build your character, then this industry is for you!” Checking In, Serving Out Dissatisfied with the limited range of people she met in her previous job, Annie wanted the opportunity to broaden her horizons. She managed to find all that and more in the hospitality industry. 14 WDA’s Programmes Hotel Supervisory and Executive Attraction, Training and Retention (STAR) Programme Hotel STAR, a joint programme by WDA and the Singapore Hotel Association (SHA), allows participants to learn and gain new skills while working and earning a monthly training salary at the same time. The programme aims to attract new entrants to the hotel industry and equip them with the skills to undertake a higher level of responsibilities as supervisors and executives. It will provide trainees with a well-rounded education that incorporates technical and managerial aspects of working in a hotel. Job seekers who are interested to participate in Hotel STAR Programme, please contact: • Singapore Hotel and Tourism Education Centre (SHATEC) at Tel: 6415 3519 (Ms Jade Tan) or Tel: 6415 3502 (Ms Serene Ong) Email: secretariat@sha.org.sg http://www.sha.org.sg PTAP (Hotels), jointly developed with the SHA, targets unemployed Singaporeans from a non-hotel industry or whose previous job scopes were unrelated to those offered under the programme. It aims to attract workers to take up jobs in the hotel industry, encourage them to adjust to industry working conditions, and to apply their training and newly-acquired skills. Through its three-pronged approach of addressing placement, training and retention, the programme is designed to help job seekers find permanent employment and help hotels better cope with manpower shortages. Job seekers who are interested to participate in PTAP (Hotels), please contact: • SHA at Tel: 6415 3588 or Fax: 6415 3510 Email: secretariat@sha.org.sg http://www.sha.org.sg Place-Train-Adjust-Programme PTAP (Hotels) ACCOMMODATION SERVICES CAREER GUIDE 2005/2006 15 Additional Resources The following is a list of training providers which offer tourism-related courses. Others Raffles International Training Centre (RITC) Tel: 6883 2308 Fax: 6883 2309 Email: ritcs@raffles.com Singapore Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers (SACEOS) http://www.saceos.org.sg Singapore Hotel and Tourism Education Centre (SHATEC) Tel: 6415 3588 Fax: 6415 3530 Email: courses@sha.org.sg http://www.sha.org.sg/shatec_about.htm Tourism Management Institute of Singapore (TMIS) http://www.tmis-edu.com Post-Secondary Educational Institutes Institute of Technical Education (ITE) http://www.ite.edu.sg Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) http://www.nyp.edu.sg Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) http://www.np.edu.sg Republic Polytechnic (RP) http://www.rp.edu.sg Singapore Polytechnic (SP) http://www.sp.edu.sg Temasek Polytechnic (TP) (The Tourism Academy @ Sentosa) http://www.tp.edu.sg http://www.tourismacademy.edu.sg 16 Endnotes 1 Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI): Economic Survey of Singapore, 2003. 2 MOM: Labour Market Report (LMR), 2004. 3 Executives refer to professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs). PMETs are persons working in professional fields (e.g. science, engineering, medicine, education, law, entertainment), including related associate professionals and technicians and persons performing administrative, managerial or executive tasks. Examples of executives in the accommodation services industry are executive housekeepers and restaurants and other catering services managers. 4 Non-Executives refer to clerical, service and sales, production craftsmen and related workers, plant and machine operators and assemblers and cleaners, labourers and related workers. Examples of non-executives in the accommodation services industry are housekeeping and catering service workers such as room stewards, restaurant attendants and chefs. 5 Industry-Specific Skills refer to job-specific skills. 6 Employability Skills refer to generic and portable skills. 7 Salary Range is taken from the first and third quartile of wage. The first quartile wage refers to the wage at which one quarter (or 25%) of the employees earn below that amount. The third quartile wage refers to the wage at which three quarters (or 75%) of the employees earn below that amount. 8 Monthly Gross Wage is the sum of the basic wage, overtime payments, commissions, allowances, service points and other regular cash payments. However, it excludes employers’ CPF contributions, bonuses, stock options, other lump sum payments and payments-in-kind. 9 Monthly Basic Wage refers to the basic pay before deductions of the employees’ CPF contributions and personal income tax. It excludes employers’ CPF contributions, bonuses, overtime payments, commissions, allowances (on shift, food, housing, transport etc.), service points (for employees in the hotel and catering business), other monetary payments and payments-in-kind. . and interpersonal/ communication skills. HIGHLIGHTS ACCOMMODATION SERVICES CAREER GUIDE 2005/ 2006 01 (*) In this report, the accommodation services industry includes food and beverage outlets. persons and above Less than 10 persons (2%) 10 to 99 persons ACCOMMODATION SERVICES CAREER GUIDE 2005/ 2006 03 02 3 The Accommodation Services industry consists of hotels, lodgings and boarding houses,. in the accommodation services industry remains optimistic in 2005 and 2006. Some of the key jobs in demand in 2005 are highlighted in Table 1. About 3 in every 10 workers in the accommodation services