Nanyang Polytechnic & Accor Hotels in Singapore to groom tomorrow’s leaders in Hospitality with a Productivity Focus

Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) School of Business Management (SBM) has been in partnership with Accor Hotels in Singapore since 2009. Our first MOU was signed in January 2009 followed by a second MOU in November 2011. The students have benefitted tremendously from the experience gained at the Accor properties (and some have become employees of Accor Hotels after graduation).

“I am blessed with the opportunity of working with 3 Accor properties; Novotel Singapore Clarke Quay, Grand Mercure Singapore Roxy and ibis Singapore on Bencoolen during my internship. By rotating around the different category hotels, I get to understand the differences in terms of hotel requirements of their employees and understand the different types of guests and their expectations. Also, I have gained confidence in handling guests and became more outspoken and improved in my communications skills. In addition, the internship gave me a good gauge of how it would be like should I choose to remain in the hospitality industry. This is important to me as it will decide my career path. After the internship, I have gone on to further my studies with Curtin University. I studied Marketing and Public Relations. After University, I chose to get a job in the hospitality industry as the internship affirms my interest in this industry. I've got a job as a Sales Coordinator with ibis Singapore Novena. As I have learnt Opera during internship, I could concentrate on other areas of learning which I have not touched. Also I am able to handle guests’ enquiries and complaints better with the experience I got from being in front line during my internship. After some experience, I have been promoted as an Assistant Sales Manager.”

Radella Ho Shu Rong, Asst Sales Manager at Ibis Singapore Novena (HTM class of 2010)

"Training in Accor as an intern has indeed helped me prepare for what is to come in the real world situation. Learning through situations simulated by our amazing lecturers was great, although it was not like the real world. Although simulated situations prepared by our lecturers gave given us ample preparation as to what lies beyond, it compared to facing the real world like in our internship. During our internship we were treated like full-time staff, however, still under the wings of professionals who guided us along, providing us with all the supervision and encouragement that we needed as newbies. Being an intern in Accor made me confident to step out in the real world, and tell me employees that hey! I've been there, done that and am sure that I will be able to do that. That is what brought me here in Accor today, 5 years after my internship and still enjoying it. I have NYP to thank for that."

Jocelyn Chye, Asst Reception Manager at Grand Mercure Singapore Roxy (HTM class of 2010)

NYP SBM renewed its third MOU with Accor Hotels in Singapore, with the inclusion of two new Accor hotels namely, “The Singapore Resort & Spa Sentosa” and “Sofitel So Singapore” in the Internship Placement Programme and more importantly, the inclusion of productivity projects for students during internship.

The new internship structure lasting 24 weeks will allow Diploma in Hospitality and Tourism Management students from Nanyang Polytechnic School to experience THREE (3) different brands of properties within the group for exposure with a productivity project focus. With the recent call by the Singapore Government for increase in Singapore labour productivity, the inclusion of such productivity focus is needy and timely. Students have been trained in the productivity tools and techniques and would hope to apply what they have learnt as they start their internship on 2 March 2015 and they hope to showcase some of their productivity improvement ideas to the hotels when they end their internship on 14 Aug 2015.

About Nanyang Polytechnic

Established in 1992, Nanyang Polytechnic (www.nyp.edu.sg) is a premier tertiary institution that offers quality education in Engineering, Information Technology, Design, Interactive & Digital Media, Business Management, Health Sciences and Chemical & Life Sciences. Currently, it offers 50 full-time diploma courses and a suite of customised courses for continuing education.

Its School of Business Management (SBM) currently offers nine diploma courses in disciplines such as Business, Banking & Finance, Marketing, Accountancy, Sports & Wellness, Mass Media Management, Hospitality & Tourism, Food & Beverage and Fund Management An integral part of training at SBM is the Teaching Enterprise Project (TEP), a cornerstone teaching pedagogy for students in SBM, where they are given intensive practice-oriented training in business units operated and managed by students and supervised by staff.