7,000 Show Up for Jobs at Universal Studio's Singapore and Resort World at Sentosa

By Valarie Tan & Ting Kheng Siong, Channel NewsAsia


SINGAPORE: Singapore's tourism sector provides the widest range of jobs in 2009.

The Manpower Ministry's (MOM) annual Labour Market Highlights this year showed that there are over 30 types of positions waiting to be filled in the hotels and the two upcoming integrated resorts.

The salaries for these jobs range from S$800 to some S$4,000. More details are available at www.mom.gov.sg.

On Saturday, jobseekers started queuing up nearly two hours before doors opened, hoping to fill the 5,000 operational and frontline positions at the Resorts World at Sentosa.

Priority was given to Singaporeans and permanent residents, and Day 1 of the weekend recruitment saw a turnout of some 7,000 people.

Fifty of them were given jobs on the spot. These include dealers, who are expected to earn S$1,800 per month, before tips.

Jeremy Tan, who is hired as a croupier and expected to start training in October, said: "This is a new industry. Uncharted territories, I would say, so everybody is new and I’m given a chance to prove myself."

Seah-Khoo Ee Boon, senior VP, HR & Training, Resorts World at Sentosa, said: "We will have several of such events from now on. Our recruitment is ongoing. We've been tying up with CDCs and WDA, and we go to the various constituencies to do recruitment so it is ongoing."

Scores of mid-career professionals and fresh graduates also visited another weekend job fair at Suntec Convention Centre.

One said: "I'm trying to find new job opportunities where I can develop myself further in other skills."

"Trying to explore the market right now. Got a job already, but I'm trying to look for other sectors," another added.

To help jobseekers, MOM's latest Labour Market Highlights has added in new information like wage range and required qualifications.

Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Manpower and Health, Hawazi Daipi, said: "We also include training pathways in the Labour Market Highlights, through which jobseekers would be able to find out what are the qualifications and training required to do the job well and at the same time, how to improve."

Organisers expect some 60,000 people to show up for the two-day job fair – about 20 per cent more than the turnout last year.

The number of exhibitors has also increased this year to 110, with a quarter of them from the government sector.