Marina Bay Sands (MBS) has taken the next step to upgrade and upskill the digital literacy and competency of its entire workforce, which consists of over 10,000 workers.
The integrated resort signed on 11 October 2022 an agreement with the Attractions, Resorts & Entertainment Union (AREU) to form a Company Training Committee (CTC).
The agreement was formalised by MBS Chief Operating Officer Paul Town, MBS Senior Vice-President Faris Alsagoff, AREU General Secretary Riaz Omar, and AREU Executive Secretary Irene Low at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre.
NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng witnessed the CTC agreement signing. Mr Ng said he believes that companies cannot reap the full benefits of transformation if their workforce cannot support the change.
He added: “It’s important that companies invest in manpower training as it invests in technology. CTCs provide a platform for unions and companies to work together to help our workers acquire the necessary skills for transformation. Companies become more competitive, and our workers are equipped with better skills and earning better wages.
“It’s a win-win outcome for both companies and workers.”
Mr Town added that the signing also represented a milestone in the company’s relationship with AREU – a partnership established in 2013.
“Today’s MOU signing forms the first step towards identifying areas to equip our diverse workforce with the necessary technological skills to navigate job redesign and industry transformation in a world of digital disruption,” he said.
The move to form a CTC is in tandem with MBS’s US$1 billion reinvestment programme – first announced on 8 February 2022 – to raise the hospitality experience in the luxury travel segment.
The CTC will act as a collaborative platform for the union and management to exchange best practices and leverage training resources to future-proof the integrated resort’s workforce.
MBS Security Supervisor Farris Abdul Rahman believes that the signing represents a positive step forward for both MBS and the union.
The 42-year-old, who has worked with the company for over 11 years, said that the collaboration shows both parties’ determination to improve the workers’ work prospects.
He said: “Beyond the union’s support, I now know I also have the company’s support to provide me with more training opportunities.
“I hope that in the future there will also be more cross-training opportunities, so that I can have the skill to work in two different departments instead of just one.”
Fifty-year-old Jessie Lee, who works at the Public Area Maintenance department, believes that the agreement will lead to more advanced training for workers, which is necessary for her line of work.
She said: “There are always new technology and machinery that we need to learn about to do our work. There are even specialised chemicals for different cleaning purposes that we need to learn about.
“Without training, there can be no progression.”
To mark the occasion, AREU, MBS, NTUC’s e2i (Employment and Employability Institute) and NTUC LearningHub (LHUB) jointly organised a one-day Learning Festival.
Open to all MBS employees, the festival allowed workers to discover their learning styles through hands-on activities and explore available training resources to support their personal development.
The festival also offered workshops organised by NTUC’s e2i and NTUC LHUB, which covered a series of topics related to mental wellness in conjunction with World Mental Health Day.
