Speech by Guest of Honour Mr Shawn Huang, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Education, at the ITE-Tall Ship Adventures MOU Signing Ceremony

Mr Peter Pela, CEO of Tall Ship Adventures

Ms Low Khah Gek, CEO of ITE

Industry partners

Ladies and gentlemen

1.A very good evening. It is my pleasure to celebrate the MOU signing between ITE and Tall Ship Adventures (TSA), which had earlier taken place on board the special setting of the Royal Albatross.

Embracing Growth

2.Luxury vessels like the Royal Albatross showcase the dynamism of Singapore's maritime ecosystem, which has evolved from a humble trading post to a maritime hub offering a comprehensive suite of services.

3.This evolution can be charted in the history of Keppel Bay, which started out as a small harbour in the mid-1800s before becoming a bustling shipyard in the 1900s, supporting the brisk sea trade that accelerated Singapore's economic success. With the move of Keppel Shipyard to Tuas in 1996, Keppel Bay is now a vibrant waterfront precinct.

4.This transformation story speaks to the importance of embracing growth in the face of changing winds.

5.I congratulate TSA for doing the same, in seeking new horizons and uncovering new opportunities. In 2015, TSA entered Singapore's waters to provide a unique dinner cruise experience aboard Asia's only luxury tall ship. Today, TSA will unveil its expansion plan, adding new and exciting experiences to the diverse slate of attractions in Singapore.

Elevating the Human Touch in the Hospitality Sector

6.Companies across the hospitality sector are embracing growth. Riding on the wave of digital transformation, the sector is finding new ways to automate, streamline and refine business processes with the use of emerging technologies. AI, for instance, is powering personalised guest experiences, from chatbot assistance for reservations, to predictive analytics to understand consumer behaviour, anticipate needs, and thereby boost customer loyalty.

7.However, in a sector that thrives on social interactions, the human touch remains vital and irreplaceable. Intelligent as AI is, it cannot replicate the authenticity and empathy that is key to human connection. Amid increasing digitalisation, the value of high-touch hospitality has thus become more pronounced, and the need to balance high technology with high touch service even more paramount.

8.Students pursuing a hospitality career should therefore not only retain, but also elevate the human touch by honing their customer-facing skills. This is best achieved through hands-on training in the workplace.

9.Industry attachments such as those offered by TSA play a critical role in our students' training and development. Over the past ten years, more than 120 students from the Higher Nitec in Passenger Services have benefitted from these opportunities. With the guidance of skilled mentors, students have gained firsthand experience in managing front-of-house operations and F&B services on board the Royal Albatross, sharpening their technical and soft skills to prepare for successful careers in the sector. The renewal of TSA's partnership with ITE will provide more internship opportunities for our students.

10.TSA will also award up to 16 scholarships every year, enabling students to attain the relevant professional certificates, including the Royal Albatross Passenger Handling Certificate and Workforce Skills Qualification (WSQ) Food Safety certification. I am extremely encouraged by TSA's long-standing partnership with ITE, and confident that our students will continue to benefit from these immersive learning experiences.

Delivering Industry-Focussed Training at ITE

11.Today's MOU signing highlights ITE's priority of delivering industry-focused training, by leveraging a wide network of over 5,000 industry stakeholders like TSA. With the ongoing roll-out of the enhanced three-year curricular structure leading directly to a Higher Nitec, many industry partners have come on board to co-design and co-deliver ITE's curriculum. All students will go through two industry attachments, to deepen students' industry-relevant skillsets, and build a strong foundation for work and further upskilling.

12.Such close collaboration between our institutions and industry benefit both parties. Institutions are able to equip students with future-forward skillsets in authentic workplace settings, while companies can enjoy the first pick of promising students and benefit from a steady pipeline of industry-ready talent.

13.Beyond this, industry attachments also facilitate mutual discovery between companies and students. Companies can get to know and discover the goals and needs of future employees, while tapping on fresh perspectives to explore new boundaries. At the same time, students have the opportunity to gain insight into companies' ethos and ambitions.

14.Take for example Yuvashri, or Shri for short. Shri joined the Royal Albatross crew on her industry attachment in 2023, and put to practice what she had learnt about passenger handling and customer interaction. Her experiences in engaging a wide variety of guests honed her interpersonal and communication skills. At the same time, TSA also tapped on Shri's creativity and familiarity with trends to customise themed events for younger guests. This allowed TSA to attract new clients, and more importantly, engage a new client base.

15.Recognising and valuing her contributions, TSA offered Shri a role in TSA after her graduation. Shri was happy to take up the opportunity, as she enjoyed TSA's collaborative work culture, and felt that she could contribute to and grow more in the company.

16.Building on the soft skills that she picked up during her industry attachment, Shri has since acquired new business knowledge, and successfully navigated diverse job roles on board the Royal Albatross, from front-of-house operations to logistics management.

17.Shri's journey highlights the importance and lasting impact of these industry attachments. By incorporating the latest industry know-how into the ITE curriculum, we not only boost individuals' careers, but also enhance the quality of Singapore's workforce and businesses.

18.Mr Peta Pela, founder and CEO of Tallship Adventures, your journey is an inspiring one. You have spent most of your career in IT, but that does not hinder you from pursuing new ventures and adventure. And from your passion of fishing, diving, and sailing, you have built an attraction and travel experience that Singapore is indeed very proud of. TSA won the Singapore Tourism Board's Outstanding Attraction Experience Award in 2022 and achieved Tripadvisor's Travelers' Choice Awards Best of the Best - awarded only to the top 1% of attractions worldwide. Let's give a round of applause to congratulate Peta's success.

19.Such an achievement is no easy feat. Together with TSA, amongst all of us today, are numerous industry partners. You understand the journey and the effort required to achieve high global quality standards and build a successful venture. Creating an ecosystem, sustaining it and staying relevant for the future.

20.Where we are today, standing amongst friends, was once known as Pulau Belakang Mati. It was an island with many kampungs, and mainly pineapple plantations - with little or no economic activity. But today, much has changed.

21.It's been more than 50 years since the work to build the Southern Island paradise begun, and Sentosa - also known as the island of tranquility, has undergone dramatic changes. This is only possible because of the hard work of each generation, putting together the building blocks essential in transforming a little island into a global destination.

Conclusion

22.Like any endeavour, any vision would require determination, dedicated effort, and collaboration with all stakeholders to succeed. So as TSA and ITE embark on their next bound of collaboration, I invite all industry partners here to partner our Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs), to grow and secure our next generation of talent. Such collaborations will help to keep our workforce and businesses nimble, vibrant and dynamic - all of which will drive our economy to greater heights.

23.Once again, thank you TSA for your partnership, and I wish ITE and TSA every success in their continued collaboration.

24.Thank you very much.

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