Success Story of NIM Postgraduate Diploma Holder

NIM student has been successful in her application for an Employment Pass here in Singapore. 

This is tremendous news and fully goes to show that Singapore does provide job opportunities to those with suitable qualifications, and that NIM equips students with the knowledge and training that makes them attractive to employers when they compete in the job market. 

Ms Raghupathi Janani who graduated with Postgraduate Diploma in Tourism and Hospitality Management, will be starting her exciting career with Serangoon Travels when she did her internship. That's what Nanyang Institute of Management has created a brand of students who have the cutting-edge and are highly employable, who have become hospitality envoys for their respective organizations in Singapore and the world.

Nanyang Institute of Management is proud of our student Raghupathi and we wish all the best to her!!

Singapore Striving to be the Best Tourism Hub

Looking down Singapore city from Marina Bay Sands hotel's Skypark. Picture: Stephen Scourfield/The West Australian
Singapore used to have a reputation for being a bit sterile and boring but that's the past.

Singapore has changed completely from the city visitors might remember even a few years ago. It has a new vibrancy; it is bold, a little bit brash, fun, sophisticated and quite breathtaking.
In fact, it has been changing so fast and so dramatically that locals repeatedly tell me they don't recognise some areas from one month to the next.
Singapore has been committed to reinventing and fragmenting itself, to give it a competitive future in the tourism and hospitality industry - and it is paying off. In the 132-city survey that is the Mastercard Global Destination Cities Index, which was published mid-June, Singapore came fourth for its number of visitor arrivals and fifth in terms of their spending.

It is projected that 11.8 million people will arrive in Singapore on direct flights this year.

And while the index expects spending to be $14.2 million, Singapore Tourism Board is predicting $18.6 million when sea and land arrivals are taken into account.

And part of the increase is a result of the fragmentation. And what do I mean by that? Well, I simply don't think "Singapore" is a single destination any more.

Capella Singapore Hotel: The old bungalow style building. Picture: Stephen Scourfield/The West Australian

The size and sophistication of the tourism developments make them destinations in their own right.

So, rather than just thinking about "Singapore", I am thinking about it as three destinations.

Singapore city

At the heart of it all - and typifying old-style Singapore for me - is still Raffles Hotel, which is celebrating its 125th anniversary. Based on classic Colonial white bungalow architecture; teeming with class.
Then Orchard Road, Chinatown, Little India and the Arab Quarter. The Peranakan Museum and trawling myriad shopping malls. Funan Digital Life mall is still the place for electronics and cameras (about a quarter cheaper than Perth's best prices for some cameras).
Back for high tea at Raffles Hotel, Goodwood Park Hotel, The Regent or The Fullerton Bay Hotel. Later, when the city's lit up, perhaps a rooftop bar or two, like Orgo at 8 Raffles Avenue, 1-Altitude in One Raffles Place, Loof on the Odeon Towers extension rooftop at 331 North Bridge Road, Helipad at 6 Eu Tong Sen Street or Lantern on top of Fullerton Bay Hotel in Collyer Quay.

Marina Bay Sands

With 2561 rooms, an infinity pool overlooking the city from the 57th floor SkyPark, more than 60 dining options, the award-winning Shoppes mall with more than 300 retail outlets, the three-towered Marina Bay Sands hotel is certainly a destination in its own right. It's rather like a vertical cruise ship.
Dining ranges from six celebrity restaurants by the likes of Paris chef Guy Savoy and Sydney's Tetsuya Wakuda, to modern, multinational food courts.
There's an indoor synthetic skating rink, the ArtScience Museum which has Harry Potter: The Exhibition until September 30, and two theatres.
"It's like a city in itself," a senior member of its 9000 staff tells me. And she's right. And then she tells me the story of guests who stay for seven days and never leave the building.

Surrounded by roads, it is connected to the new Gardens by the Bay, the first phase of which opened on June 29. This section, the 54ha Bay South Garden, has taken five years to make, and has two water-cooled conservatories covering 1.2ha, Dragonfly Lake full of fish and water plants, 18 trees between 25m and 50m tall, and four heritage gardens. The full 101ha of the gardens will be open by 2015.
But, perhaps, not the most remarkable, for that honour must surely live with Sands SkyPark, up there on the 57th floor of Marina Bay Sands. Covering 1.2ha - the size of three soccer pitches - it is home to 250 trees and 650 plants, and a 150m infinity pool. It's a bizarre spectacle, seeing the water's edge and city beyond.
And it's not often that you get to look down on helicopters.

Sentosa Island

Sentosa Island is a stone's throw across the water from Singapore city, but self-contained and different; a destination in itself and almost as much green park as theme park, with tropical landscaping and the South China Sea framing all.
The environment is scripted and sculpted but it is intriguingly well done.
Visitors can easily get around the island using the Sentosa Express and buses.
Up at Fort Siloso, there's history and Asia's biggest collection of World War II memorabilia, but also Combat Skirmish Live for laser warriors.
There's Underwater World Singapore, Sentosa Nature Discovery, Butterfly Park and Insect Kingdom, Skyline Luge, Singapore Cable Car and iFly Singapore, where visitors can skydive indoors.
There's Resorts World Sentosa, with its combination of Universal Studios and other attractions, and six hotels. Then there are Siloso, Palawan and Tanjong beaches.

The Sentosa Play Pass allows entry to 16 attractions, and a saving of more than 60 per cent over the standard entry prices. The Day Play Pass is valid from 9am to 7pm and $50.40 for an adult, $38.15 for a child on weekdays. It includes Singapore Cable Car, Butterfly Park and Insect Kingdom, the Maritime Experimental Museum, Extreme Log Ride, Songs of the Sea, Tiger Sky Tower and Fort Siloso Laser Battle.
Part of me thinks that I wouldn't even try combining even two of these on one trip - it might just be exhausting.

Singapore Airlines flies direct from Perth to Singapore in five hours and 25 minutes, three times a day, and is increasing that to four from October 28 until March 30.
Just go up for a few days for each. Or just pick what might suit you best. They are completely different experiences and holidays.

I'll give you an example. I stayed on Sentosa for a few days, with the idea of still going to places in the city but I didn't. The tall buildings are there, only just beyond your fingertips and a few minutes taxi ride away, but somehow I just couldn't bridge the gap.
But if you do want to combine, say Sentosa and Marina Bay Sands, I'd aim for about three days each.
It's supposed to be a holiday, after all.

Sources: http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/travel/a/-/asia/14512366/bold-and-fun-singapore/

Singapore Unemployment Falls as Jobs Withstand Shrinking GDP

Singapore Unemployment Falls as Jobs Withstand Shrinking GDP

By Sharon Chen - Jul 31, 2012 10:57 AM GMT+0800

Singapore’s unemployment rate unexpectedly fell last quarter as construction companies and manufacturers increased hiring even as the economy contracted.

The seasonally adjusted jobless rate fell to 2 percent in the three months through June from 2.1 percent the previous quarter, the Ministry of Manpower said in a statement today. The median estimate of nine economists surveyed by Bloomberg News was for a rate of 2.2 percent. The economy added 29,200 jobs last quarter, compared with 27,200 in the previous period.

The Southeast Asian nation’s industrial output and exports rose more than economists estimated in June, while sales of homes by property developers such as CapitaLand Ltd. led to a rebound in private residential prices last quarter. The government is also building more public housing to meet the demands of an increasing population, holding up the island’s job market even as a faltering global recovery hurts growth prospects from Singapore to Taiwan.

“We do not expect a sharp deterioration in the labor market even as the economic outlook remains dotted with risks,” said Irvin Seah, a Singapore-based economist at DBS Group Holdings Ltd. “There’s a healthy pipeline of public transportation and residential projects which is supporting hiring in the construction sector.”

The services industry added 15,500 jobs last quarter, while manufacturing companies increased payrolls by 4,500, the report showed, citing preliminary data. Construction employment rose 9,500 in the three months through June.

The central bank said last week the island’s growth may fall below 1 percent should the U.S. and Chinese economies slump and the European crisis worsen significantly. The government currently predicts gross domestic product will increase 1 percent to 3 percent in 2012.

Singapore’s GDP fell an annualized 1.1 percent in the three months through June from the previous quarter.

Sources: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-07-31/singapore-unemployment-falls-as-jobs-withstand-shrinking-gdp-1-.html

Singapore Gardens 'top Eid attraction'

Singapore Gardens 'top Eid attraction'

Dubai: 1 hour and 44 minutes ago

Singapore’s 'Gardens by the Bay,' the billion-dollar super park that exhibits more than 220,000 plants from around the globe, will be a top attraction for the visting Gulf families this Eid, said a senior tourism official.

Mohamed Hafez Marican, the area director for Middle East and Africa, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), said the on-target visitor numbers indicate that the city-state will be a top Eid Al-Fitr destination for Gulf families this summer, thanks to an array of newly opened family-friendly attractions.

“Singapore offers a multi-ethnic twist on Eid Al-Fitr, and Gardens by the Bay is a sight that visitors will not want to miss out on,” he noted.

According to him, Singapore has already received more than 14,000 visitors from the UAE for the first quarter, an 18 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2011.

Earlier this summer, STB predicted a 20 per cent spike in the number of Gulf visitors to Singapore, he stated.

Gardens by the Bay spans an impressive 101 hectares and is nestled in the heart of Singapore’s new downtown, near the Marina Bay Sands, a spectacular destination for entertainment, business and shopping.

The super park showcases 18, massive steel ‘supertrees’ that shoot up through the foliage, illuminating Singapore’s already sparkling skyline. The 25- to 50-meter-tall tree-like structures, designed by landscape-architecture consultant Grant Associates, in collaboration with Wilkinson Eyre Architects, also aid in Singapore’s green initiative, collecting rainwater, generating solar power, and acting as venting ducts for the park’s conservatory,' Marican explained.

The Gardens, he said, exhibit more than 220,000 plants from every continent except Antarctica, with 163,000 plants of more than 200 species of bromeliads, orchids, ferns, and tropical climbing flowers.

'The cooled-dry conservatory, the Flower Dome, features flora from the Mediterranean and semi-arid subtropical regions, allowing nature lovers to get up close and personal with plant species like baobabs, indigenous to Madagascar, bottle trees, olive trees and date palms. The Cloud Forest, a moist yet cool complex, houses a 35-metre tall mountain complete with the tallest indoor waterfall enfolded in abundant greenery,' he noted.

'Until December 2012, avid fans of the highly addictive smartphone game can also unleash their creative talents in workshops, play at interactive game stations, and dine on eccentric Angry Birds meals. Tickets are available at Imbiah Lookout on Sentosa, Harbourfront Tower 2 and The Jewel Box,' said Marican.

Tickets are priced at Dh105 ($28.5) for adults and Dh 66 for children, while family packages start at Dh200.

According to Marican, the Gulf visitors’ holiday schedule can be planned, organized and tracked with the official YourSingapore travel application, available on the AppStore and in Android Market.

The app offers users access to information about latest events, dining venues, shopping, history and culture and more, he added.

Sources: http://www.tradearabia.com/news/TTN_220489.html

Singapore among top 5 travel spots

Ng Kai Ling, Asia News Network (The Straits Times), Singapore | Business | Tue, 06/19/2012 7:32 AM

A New study has ranked Singapore among the top five most popular travel destinations in the world for this year.

The MasterCard Global Destinations Cities Index, released on Monday by MasterCard Worldwide, placed Singapore fourth in visitor arrivals and fifth in tourist spending, in its second ranking of 132 international cities.

In its inaugural list last year, the Republic came in fourth in visitor arrivals and seventh in tourist spending.

The cities are ranked in terms of their international visitor arrivals on direct flights, and how much visitors spent in their destination cities in previous years.

The arrivals figures were obtained by MasterCard from aviation data tracking passenger arrivals at airports, and the spending data was derived from United Nations estimates.

Using both sets of data, a forecast is made for the present year.

This latest report projected visitor arrivals here to reach 11.8 million this year. Tourist spending is expected to hit US$12.7 billion.

These figures, though higher than the previous year's study, are different from Singapore's own projections, which take into account tourists who visit via sea and land.

In March, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said Singapore could expect up to 14.5 million visitors this year, up from last year's 13.2 million.

It also said tourist spending this year may reach S$24 billion (US$18.90 billion), up from last year's S$22.3 billion.

Despite these differences, tourism analysts who spoke to The Straits Times about the MasterCard report said the two forecasts concurred on one point: That the numbers are going up.

“Singapore has become not only a hub for tourism arrivals, but for tourism spending as well,” said Jonathan Galaviz, managing director of research and consulting firm Galaviz & Company.

“Attracting tourists is one thing, getting them to spend is another.”

Michael Chiam, a senior lecturer in tourism at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, said that the two integrated resorts had created new markets in gaming and dining for the tourism sector.

He added: “And this year, we have new attractions such as Gardens by the Bay and River Safari opening.” Both Gardens by the Bay and River Safari are scheduled to open this year.

According to the MasterCard study, the biggest spenders in Singapore this year will be from London, Jakarta and Hong Kong. Travelers from those cities are expected to spend between US$867 million and US$1.39 billion.

The largest number of travellers to Singapore is expected to come from Jakarta (1.05 million), Hong Kong (690,000), London (616,000) and Manila (616,000).

With the Olympics being held in London next month, the British capital can expect some 16.9 million visitors, putting it on top of the MasterCard study.

Paris is second with 16 million visitors. In third place is Bangkok, with 12.2 million visitors.

Sources: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/06/19/singapore-among-top-5-travel-spots.html

Nanyang Institute of Management has been awarded Edutrust ( 4 years)

Nanyang Institute of Management has been awarded Edutrust ( 4 years)

Nanyang Institute of Management has been awarded 4 Years Edutrust award because NIM has either excelled or achieved satisfactory to commendable performance in all key areas of management, the provision of quality education services, proper student protection, welfare practices and standards.

By achieving 4 Years Edutrust award, the students who enroll at NIM will get the following benefits:

Ø     The student pass processing time is faster than Edutrust provisional schools.

Ø     Students, who attend a full-time course at an approved PEO that is awarded the EduTrust status, are not required to furnish the security bond. (sources: http://www.ica.gov.sg/page.aspx?pageid=320)

Ø     Student will get full study period student pass depending on their registered course duration instead of (6months or one year renewable student pass).

Sources: http://www.cpe.gov.sg/cos/o.x?c=/cpe/peis&ptid=401&func=profile&pid=135 

Singapore eyes Asia cruise market with new terminal

Posted on 22 May 2012 - 07:51pm
Last updated on 22 May 2012 - 08:00pm

SINGAPORE (May 22, 2012): A multi-million-dollar cruise terminal capable of accommodating the world's largest luxury cruise liners will start operating this weekend, officials said Tuesday.

The opening of the Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore will allow the city-state to tap Asia's growing cruise industry, they said, while it will also provide thousands of new jobs.

On Saturday, the S$500 million (US$395 million) terminal will welcome its first ship -- the Royal Caribbean International's 138,000-tonne Voyager of the Seas luxury liner.

With a capacity of 3,840 passengers and 1,176 crew, the vessel will be the largest of its kind to dock in Singapore, terminal operator SATS-Creuers Cruise Services said in a statement.

This will "pave the way for the newer generation of larger cruise liners to dock in Singapore and Asia, including Oasis-Class ships," it said, referring to the world's largest passenger liners.

Situated at the edge of Singapore's waterfront downtown district, the ultra-modern terminal is expected to latch onto the city's booming tourism industry, which benefited from double digit growth in visitor arrivals to 13.2 million last year.

Tourism receipts came in at S$22.3 billion last year, up 18% from 2010.

Singapore's tourism authorities said it received close to one million cruise passengers in 2011, generating S$520 million in direct spending.

"Singapore's strategic location coupled with the terminal's state-of-the-art facilities and proximity to the city and Singapore Changi Airport will anchor the country's position as Asia's leading cruise hub," said Melvin Vu, chief executive of SATS-Creuers Cruise Services.

The terminal will be operated by a joint venture between Singapore Airport Terminal Services and Europe's Creuers del Port de Barcelona.

Singapore's second minister for trade and industry S. Iswaran said during a media tour of the facility on Tuesday the terminal's opening would create 3,000 jobs and other spin-off benefits.

"The hotels also stand to benefit to the extent that we become a turnaround cruise port... where people come to Singapore in order to board the cruise ship or to disembark in Singapore before going home," Iswaran added.

Other cruise operators such as Florida-based Celebrity Cruises and Italy's Costa Cruises are also scheduled to start deploying liners to the city-state in the next two years. – AFP

Sources: http://www.thesundaily.my/news/386002

Singapore expects 10% increase in Gulf visitors this summer

Tourists from UAE visiting city state rise 18% in first quarter

Dubai: The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) expects a 10 per cent increase in visitors from the Gulf during the upcoming summer holiday months compared to the 2011 summer period, according to a senior Singapore tourism official.

"Thanks to recent investment in exciting new tourism infrastructure, the ‘new' Singapore offers a truly differentiated holiday experience to Gulf visitors," Mohammad Hafez Marican, STB's Area Director for the Middle East and Africa, said in a statement.

Outlook

He expects at least a 10 per cent increase in the number of visitors from the Gulf region to Singapore this summer season.
Meanwhile, the STB data reveal that 14,280 tourists from the UAE visited Singapore in the first quarter of 2012.
This marked an increase of more than 18 per cent over the corresponding period a year earlier.
During this time, Singapore also saw a 36.3 per cent increase in visitors from Saudi Arabia, data show.
Meanwhile, the Gulf region overall saw a general increase in visitors over the same period, the tourism board said in the statement.
It added that the growth in regional visitors to Singapore comes on the back of a number of new attractions being revealed as the existing ones are renewed.


New flights

Airlines have also begun to meet this increased demand through the introduction of new flights or services, according to STB.
Emirates offers 29 flights a week from Dubai to Singapore, and Qatar Airways offers 14 flights a week from Doha.

Sources: http://gulfnews.com/business/tourism/singapore-expects-10-increase-in-gulf-visitors-this-summer-1.1026472

Singapore reminas top convention city in Asia

Singapore remains top convention city in Asia

Updated: 2012-05-22 21:00

( Xinhua)分享按钮

SINGAPORE - Singapore maintained its position as Asia's top convention city for the 10th consecutive year in the latest rankings by the International Congress and Convention Association, the Singapore Tourism Board said on Tuesday.

It is also the only Asian city in the top five convention cities worldwide alongside Vienna, Barcelona, Paris and Berlin, which took the top four positions.

Singapore welcomed a record 13.2 million visitors last year. Business visitors accounted for 24 percent of the total visitor arrivals in Singapore. Expenditure by these business travelers increased by 4.1 percent to an estimated 5.6 billion Singapore dollars ($4.4 billion) or 25 percent of the total tourism receipts.

The meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) industry saw a year-on-year growth of 46 percent in the number of conventions, conferences and trade shows held in Singapore last year.

Neeta Lachmandas, assistant chief executive of Singapore Tourism Board said Singapore's success can be attributed to factors such as a vibrant eco-system that nurtures business events of exceptional quality, the dynamic growth in Asia, and the dedication of the industry partners.

"Singapore aims to continue leveraging the growing opportunities in Asia and our strong knowledge network to further strengthen our position as a preferred MICE destination," she said. "Singapore strives to differentiate itself by co-creating and developing a strong network of business events within Singapore's key priority industries.

Madrid and London came in the sixth and seventh positions, respectively, while Amsterdam took the eighth position. Istanbul was ranked the ninth, followed by Beijing in the tenth position.

Sources: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2012-05/22/content_15360526.htm

Why more migrants needed in S'pore

Why more migrants needed in S'pore By Imelda Saad | Posted: 03 May 2012 0935 hrs

SINGAPORE: Another study has been released in support of Singapore's need to attract new migrants to slow down the impact of an ageing and dwindling population.

Released by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), the report is the first to take into account the country's non-resident population.

This includes those on work permits, long-term social visit passes and foreign students.

In its report, the institute sets out three scenarios.

One, where the proportion of foreigners remains at 25 per cent (or one in four) of the total population.

Two, where this proportion drops to 20 per cent (or one in five).

And three, where the proportion is raised to 33 per cent (or one in three).

For all scenarios, it is assumed that Singapore will take in 30,000 new citizens or Permanent Residents every year, and the country's Total Fertility Rate remains at 1.24

The report states that a higher non-resident population will mean a larger total population, from the current 5 million now to 6.8 million in 2030, if the proportion of foreigners in the population is raised to 33 per cent.

And while the average population will still get older, a higher proportion of non-residents will slow this process down.

The same is said for the support ration between a working adult and an elderly.

While the ratio will still decline, with more foreigners in the midst, the impact will be somewhat mitigated.

Assuming the country's Total Fertility Rate remains at 1.24 and it brings in 30,000 new citizens or PRs yearly with non-residents, the support ratio now for every one elderly aged 65 and above to a working adult is 1:10.3.

In about 20 years, this will be halved at 1:5.1, if foreigners make up 33 per cent of the population.

If Singapore takes in no immigrants, there will be only about two working adults supporting each elderly person, by then.

So, even with more foreigners in the mix, there will be fewer Singaporeans supporting the elderly.

But the paper shows that the problem is exacerbated without taking in migrants.

With or without foreigners, the labour force will be hit.

Even with the bumped-up crop of foreigners, the report shows the growth in total labour force will dip from the average 3.6 per cent annual growth which Singapore has been enjoying since the 70s.

With the current proportion of one in four foreigners in the midst, the labour force will grow by 1.04 per cent over the next 10 years.

Raising the proportion to one in three will see the labour force grow to 2.47 per cent annually, over the same period. 
                          
The IPS report comes just a week after a similar paper was issued by the National Population and Talent Division.

Both papers present population projections based on certain assumption and are not meant to be forecasts or predictions.


Together, the reports will form the basis of a national discussion on populations’ issues that will culminate in a White Paper to be released by the end of the year.

The White Paper on Population will set out issues important to Singaporeans and map out strategies for a sustainable population.

This will cover areas such as housing, transport and land use.

- CNA/wk
Sources: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1198946/1/.html

STB projects 10% increase in visitor growth this year

STB projects 10% increase in visitor growth this year

By Vimita Mohandas | Posted: 23 March 2012 1012 hrs

SINGAPORE: The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) expects more visitor arrivals for Singapore for 2012.

It has projected an increase of up to 10 per cent, from 2011 - at between 13.5 and 14.5 million arrivals.

But it'll be slower than the 13.8 per cent achieved in 2011.

Second Minister for Trade and Industry S Iswaran gave this assessment at a tourism industry conference on Friday.

He said the STB has also projected tourism receipts of between S$23 billion and S$24 billion in 2012, an increase of up to 8 per cent from 2011.

He said this is a conservative forecast, based on the global economic uncertainties and moderate growth forecast.

He added that Singapore needs to continually innovate to stay ahead of the curve.

As such, the government will be pumping in a second tranche of tourism development funding worth S$905 million.

Two-thirds of the amount will be used for new tourism ventures and projects over five years.

- CNA/ck

sources: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1190771/1/.html

More childcare centres to be built

More childcare centres to be built

By Karen Ng | Posted: 10 March 2012 1957 hrs

SINGAPORE: About 200 more childcare centres will be built by 2018 to cater to tremendous increase in demand for childcare services.

This was announced on Saturday by Minister of State for Community Development, Youth and Sports Halimah Yacob.

Madam Halimah said: "Childcare, as you know, is a very important facet of work-life balance.

"Women cannot go back to work if there is no proper care-giving responsibilities for their children.

"The promise is to build 200 childcare centres by 2013. But already, I think we have reached that target so we will build another 200 centres.

"The whole idea is really to make sure that we have enough places for women to put their children in."

Madam Halimah said the new childcare centres will be built in areas that have higher demand, such as Woodlands and Bukit Panjang.

As demand is very location-based, she is open to private operators coming into the sector.

But operators must meet the key requirements of accessibility, affordability and quality.

The ministry is also exploring childcare centres at workplaces.

But high rentals is a deterring factor.

Currently, there are more than 900 childcare centres in Singapore, and a typical childcare centre can accommodate 70 to 100 children.

- CNA/wk

Sources: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1188172/1/.html