MEDIA RELEASE
LAUNCH OF RAFFLES SCHOOL OF HOSPITALITY @ RP
Collaboration with premier hospitality brand brings poly hospitality education and training to a new level
Singapore, 31 March 2008 – Republic Polytechnic and Raffles Hotels & Resorts today announce their collaborative agreement to establish Raffles School of Hospitality @ RP (RSH@RP).
The Raffles School of Hospitality @ RP is Republic Polytechnic’s newest school. It is the first time that a Polytechnic in Singapore has a strategic and advisory collaboration with an international award-winning hotel chain - Raffles Hotels & Resorts. With the adoption of the Raffles brand, which is synonymous with excellence in hospitality business, RSH@RP will be a premier hospitality school that produces graduates who are not only academically endowed but also proficient in the service skill-sets and mindsets required by leading organisations in the hospitality industry.
A unique feature of the offering by the newest school of hospitality is that its graduates, besides being fully trained using the PBL pedagogy, will also go through a specially designed experiential-based curriculum in RP’s Training Hotel (refer Annex). This will prepare them for their Practice@Industry stint in their final year in established hotels including Raffles Hotels locally and internationally.
Commenting on the launch of the new school Professor Low Teck Seng, Principal and CEO, Republic Polytechnic, said, “The response from students and parents has been overwhelming. It shows that polytechnics should constantly explore ways in which it can better meet the demands and expectations of the industry and the future employment landscape. Collaboration with the industry’s best means that students will get a first-hand experience and the right quality assurance to enable them to be more marketable.”
The Raffles School of Hospitality @ RP currently offers three diploma programmes:- Diploma in Hotel and Hospitality Management (DHHM)
- Diploma in Integrated Events Management (DIEM)
- Diploma in Customer Relationship and Service Management (DCRSM)
“As we are increasingly faced with a shortage of skilled resources in the hospitality industry, this collaboration with Republic Polytechnic could not be more timely,” said Diana Ee Tan, Managing Director of Raffles Hotels & Resorts. “We hope that in future, the graduates will not only enhance Singapore’s talent pool, but will also lead a new generation of home grown managers who can make their mark in Singapore or any where else in the world. Raffles hotels located across the globe can provide them the much sought after international exposure”
The launch this morning will be marked by a formal signing session by Professor Low Teck Seng, Principal and CEO, Republic Polytechnic, and Mrs. Diana Ee-Tan, Managing Director of Raffles Hotels & Resorts.
For more information, please contact:Benjamin Chow (Mr)
Administrative Officer
Office of Corporate Communications, Republic Polytechnic
DID: (65) 3100 1779
Email: benjamin_chow@rp.sg
Emma Sue (Ms)
Director, iBrand Strategy Group Pte Ltd
Mobile: 9735 7760
Tel: 6222 8968
Email: emma@ibrand.com.sg
About Republic Polytechnic
The first educational institution in Singapore to adopt the Problem-Based Learning approach for all its diploma programmes, Republic Polytechnic has six schools and one centre offering twenty nine diploma courses in Information & Communications Technology, Engineering, Applied Science, Technology for the Arts, Sports, Health & Leisure, Hotel and Hospitality, and Culture and Communication. Republic Polytechnic is committed to nurturing innovation and entrepreneurial learning in an environment that develops problem-solving process skills and a life-long learning attitude. Its holistic, broad-based curriculum, covering culture, enterprise development and cognitive processes, prepares students for an active and meaningful role in society. Republic Polytechnic strives for excellence by achieving various national and international accreditations, including People Developer Standards, ISO9001, ISO14001, OHSAS 18001, Singapore Quality Class, Singapore Innovation Class, and the Singapore Health Awards (Gold). For more information, visit http://www.rp.sg