The Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) is the first Singapore university to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with two leading international hotel groups – InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG®) and Millennium & Copthorne Hotels plc (M&C) – to establish education and industry partnerships. The aim is to provide students with exposure to the hospitality industry and real-life business environments.

The collaboration demonstrates strong industry support for SIT’s Bachelor of Hospitality Business with Honours degree programme, and will strengthen SIT’s unique Integrated Work Study Programme (IWSP) by allowing students to gain work experiences at corporate offices or in hotels owned or operated by IHG and M&C over a longer period.

The MOU was signed by Professor Loh Han Tong, Deputy President (Academic) & Provost, SIT, Ms. Gabrielle Choy, Area Director of Human Resources, IHG Singapore and Mr Bhupesh Yadav, Chief Business & Administration Officer for Millennium Hotels & Resorts (MHR) .

SIT’s Hospitality Business degree programme, which was launched earlier this year, is the first Hospitality undergraduate degree offered by an autonomous university (AU) in Singapore. Aligned with the national SkillsFuture movement, the programme places a strong emphasis on skills mastery with a broader focus on the business of hospitality beyond management issues. Graduates will not only learn about the fundamentals of hospitality management, but will also understand the business of hospitality from an owner’s perspective.

To help graduates stay relevant, the applied learning approach is delivered through enhanced collaboration with industry partners that provides graduates with an industry-focused grounding. Students have the opportunity to attend a four-month long industrial attachment and an eight-month long work placement under the IWSP, where they will gain exposure to the hospitality industry and experience the rigors and challenges in a real work environment. This strong partnership with industry also comes in the form of guest lecturing, company visits and the use of real-life case studies.

Professor Loh Han Tong, Deputy President (Academic) & Provost, SIT, said, “We are honoured to partner two industry heavyweights who will provide opportunities and resources to our students. With their valuable support, our students will receive hands-on and industry-relevant training in the hospitality field through an applied learning environment. Our graduates are imbued with the SIT-DNA and are able to adapt to market conditions. This makes it possible for them to learn, unlearn and relearn – an important trait that enhances their market value and competitiveness during economically challenging times, especially in the hospitality sector.”

Professor David Jones, Programme Director for the Hospitality Business degree programme said, “The degree will offer our students a holistic education, and provide graduates with realistic expectations and a good understanding of the nature of their jobs. This collaboration with InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG) and Millennium & Copthorne Hotels plc (M&C) will allow us to expand our IWSP, in particular, and immerse students in a real work environment”.

Ms. Tash Tobias, Regional General Manager, IHG Singapore, Malaysia & Batam, said, “The hospitality industry is one of the most prominent and fastest growing in Singapore with many new hotels coming in to the market, backed by the strong support from the Singapore Government to continue harnessing the growth potential of the travel and tourism landscape. With IHG® Academy, a core pillar of our corporate responsibility strategy, we have a global commitment to partner local education providers with a programme that offers students with skills development and employment opportunities in one of the world’s largest hotel companies.”

”This collaboration is aligned with our hotels’ commitment to develop future leaders in hospitality. It is a good platform for students to hone and develop what they have learnt in classrooms through real life situations. It also helps to plug the labour shortage that the hospitality industry is facing. At Millennium Hotels and Resorts (MHR), staff training and development is key to building up a productive and highly engaged team,” said Mr Bhupesh Yadav, Chief Business & Administration Officer for MHR.