IHG Hotels & Resorts has entered into a partnership with Association for Persons with Special Needs (APSN) to provide support, jobs and training for APSN’s students and trainees across all IHG hotels in Singapore.
The agreement includes an apprenticeship programme aimed at helping the students and trainees realise their potential, and offers employment and training opportunities, including courses on hospitality, and food and beverage. Colleagues across IHG hotels and office in Singapore will raise funds, conduct workshops and commit volunteering hours as a key part of the venture.
(From left) APSN’s Stanley Tang and Royce Seah ink deal with IHG’s Rajit Sukumaran and Vivek Bhalla to provide apprenticeships for APSN’s students and trainees across all IHG hotels in Singapore
APSN is a social service agency focused on developing individuals with special needs and enabling them to lead dignified, fulfilling and independent lives. It prepares beneficiaries for employment and success via education and vocational training initiatives from their early years through to adulthood.
The partnership is part of IHG’s 10-year sustainability plan dubbed Journey To Tomorrow, outlining clear commitments to drive change for its people, communities and planet. It is in association with IHG’s 2030 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion commitments which champion a diverse culture where everyone can thrive.
Rajit Sukumaran, managing director, South East Asia & Korea, IHG, and chairman of the SEAK DE&I Council, said: “Diversity, equity and inclusion is an integral part of IHG’s culture and we are committed to serving the communities in which we operate. More than three decades have passed since 1989 when Holiday Inn Orchard City Centre became a pioneer in Singapore in hiring people with different abilities. Today, five per cent of our full-time workforce are people with different abilities, and most of our full-serviced hotels in Singapore are accredited with the SG-enabling mark.”
He added: “As travel recovers and Singapore gradually (opens) its borders to international travel, I’m confident that our partnership with APSN will be further strengthened as we continue to work together to make an impact in our community by creating job and training opportunities and an environment that is truly understanding of others, and embraces differences.”
IHG has worked closely with APSN for many years to provide full-time employment opportunities, as well as on-the-job training and internships. The group also organises regular social activities for APSN students in its hotels in Singapore. In turn, APSN conducts training for IHG hotel teams to help its graduates adapt to their new work environment. They take on roles such as public area attendants, kitchen stewards, bellmen and servers, and the average stay of each full-time graduate has reached six years.
IHG Hotels & Resorts has entered into a partnership with Association for Persons with Special Needs (APSN) to provide support, jobs and training for APSN’s students and trainees across all IHG hotels in Singapore.
The agreement includes an apprenticeship programme aimed at helping the students and trainees realise their potential, and offers employment and training opportunities, including courses on hospitality, and food and beverage. Colleagues across IHG hotels and office in Singapore will raise funds, conduct workshops and commit volunteering hours as a key part of the venture.
APSN is a social service agency focused on developing individuals with special needs and enabling them to lead dignified, fulfilling and independent lives. It prepares beneficiaries for employment and success via education and vocational training initiatives from their early years through to adulthood.
The partnership is part of IHG’s 10-year sustainability plan dubbed Journey To Tomorrow, outlining clear commitments to drive change for its people, communities and planet. It is in association with IHG’s 2030 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion commitments which champion a diverse culture where everyone can thrive.
Rajit Sukumaran, managing director, South East Asia & Korea, IHG, and chairman of the SEAK DE&I Council, said: “Diversity, equity and inclusion is an integral part of IHG’s culture and we are committed to serving the communities in which we operate. More than three decades have passed since 1989 when Holiday Inn Orchard City Centre became a pioneer in Singapore in hiring people with different abilities. Today, five per cent of our full-time workforce are people with different abilities, and most of our full-serviced hotels in Singapore are accredited with the SG-enabling mark.”
He added: “As travel recovers and Singapore gradually (opens) its borders to international travel, I’m confident that our partnership with APSN will be further strengthened as we continue to work together to make an impact in our community by creating job and training opportunities and an environment that is truly understanding of others, and embraces differences.”
IHG has worked closely with APSN for many years to provide full-time employment opportunities, as well as on-the-job training and internships. The group also organises regular social activities for APSN students in its hotels in Singapore. In turn, APSN conducts training for IHG hotel teams to help its graduates adapt to their new work environment. They take on roles such as public area attendants, kitchen stewards, bellmen and servers, and the average stay of each full-time graduate has reached six years.