New SkillsFuture Study Awards for professionals in tourism

Employees in the tourism sector can now apply for the SkillsFuture Study Awards to help upgrade themselves.

Launched by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) yesterday (24 October 2016), the SkillsFuture Study Awards is available to employees in the hotel; meeting, incentive, convention, and exhibition (MICE); travel agent; and tourist guide industries. Successful applicants of the study awards will each receive S$5,000.

"This Study Award is bond-free and can be used to defray course fees and out-of-pocket training expenses for tourism sector courses including Higher National ITE Certificate (NITEC), diploma and degree programmes offered by local tertiary institutions, relevant Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) courses, professional certification, and advanced language courses, depending on the industry focus," the press release stated.

Applications for the Study Awards are open from now to March 2017.

“As part of STB’s ongoing journey towards Quality Tourism, it is essential for the tourism sector to raise capabilities and enhance the competitiveness of Singapore’s tourism landscape. These Study Awards will deepen the skills of the tourism workforce, while helping employers to nurture their Singaporean core.

It is also another tool in STB’s arsenal of industry assistance that includes funding support for employee upgrading, talent and leadership development for the tourism sector, said Lionel Yeo, chief executive, STB.

These awards are supported by industry associations such as the Singapore Hotel Association (SHA), Singapore Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers (SACEOS), National Association of Travel Agents Singapore (NATAS), Society of Tourist Guides Singapore (STGS), and union partners such as National Trades Union Congress (NTUC).

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