MEDIA RELEASE

8 June 2007

Pilot Young GEMS Camp to Groom Young Service Talents

Nation-wide effort to reach out to youths to raise the awareness on the importance of service, and empowering them to take an active role in transforming the service industry in Singapore

1.         Jointly organised by the GEMS Mindset Workgroup, in partnership with Republic Polytechnic (RP), the Young GEMS Camp reaches out to 80 upper-secondary school students from 17 Secondary Schools in Singapore through a 5-day non residential ‘service’ camp from 4 to 8 June 2007 held at the campus of Republic Polytechnic. 

2.       The Young GEMS Camp is a pilot initiative of the GEMS Youth Outreach programme, rolled out on 19 April 2007, as part of the Go-the-Extra-Mile-for-Service (GEMS) Movement to spread the message that having high service standards is everyone’s responsibility. A camp for the young driven by the young, the GEMS Mindset Workgroup collaborated with Republic Polytechnic, Centre for Innovation and Enterprise, and students from RP to appeal to the youths through fun, engaging, experiential and mind-stimulating activities, aimed at providing the young with a more holistic picture on the services industry and cultivate in them a service-oriented mindset.

3.         During the Camp, the students were exposed to various aspects of a service chain, through hands-on activities such as “GEMers-in-Action” and “Discovering GEMS”, and gained insights on how good customer service was critical to the survival of businesses and the Singapore economy. On the last day of the camp, students had a chance to apply what they have learnt throughout the past 4 days, by wearing the hats of a service provider and putting together a Mini Fair and a performance titled “It’s Show Time!” to delight and entertain guests. The students also engaged in a dialogue session under the topic “Youths and Service”, with guest-of-honour, Ms Grace Fu, Minister of State for National Development, and panel members to discuss the roles that youths play in raising service standards and building a service culture in Singapore.

(The programme of Young GEMS Camp can be found in the media fact sheet.)

4.         Commenting on the Camp, Mr Tan Huan Peow, Director, Centre for Innovation and Enterprise, Republic Polytechnic says, “The Young GEMS Camp is an important first step for the students in the service journey. This 5-day programme aims to expand their career options, to make them view the service industry as a viable career option.”

5.         Added Mr Kenneth Chan, Managing Director of McDonald’s Restaurants Pte Ltd and Co-Chairperson of the GEMS Mindset Workgroup, “A good service worker must be equipped with the right service attitude and mindset. The camp is but a first step to seed the awareness among youths that they have what it takes to transform the local service scene. I am very encouraged to see enthusiastic young leaders stepping forward to lead the younger ones by example and demonstrating that providing good service entails qualities like passion, teamwork and understanding the needs of customers.”

6.         The Young GEMS Camp has been well received by the camp participants. Shared student Rosmah Bte Mohamad Shukor, from Henderson Secondary: “I volunteered to come for this camp as I wanted to know what GEMS is about. Before that, I do not really see the importance of service, but through the fun teachings and activities of the camp, I understand that everyone has to make an effort to improve the service standard in Singapore. This camp is also part of our education as it allows us to know more about the service career choices available.”

7.         Fellow participant, Douglas Lok Boo Guang, from Raffles Institute Secondary also expressed similar sentiments: “I was curious about what the Young GEMS Camp was and wanted to attend to find out more, especially on how youths have a part to play in this. The activities and role-playing helped widened my understanding of service and allowed me to see from the perspectives of both the service provider and the customer. I am now able to empathise with each party better. I hope to propagate the message of GEMS back in my school as it will be useful in many areas.”

For media queries and interviews on Young GEMS Camp student participants and teachers, please contact:

Catherine Goh (Ms)

Principal Manager, Corporate & Marketing Communications Division

Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA)

DID      : 6512 1245

Mobile: 9850 7903

Email: catherine_goh@wda.gov.sg

Pauline Phua (Ms)

Senior Manager, Corporate & Marketing Communications Division

Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA)

DID      : 6512 7329

Mobile: 9620 7620

Email: pauline_phua@wda.gov.sg

For media enquiries and interviews on Republic Polytechnic Youth Organising Committee and Facilitators, please contact:

Emma Sue (Ms)

Senior PR Consultant

Office of Corporate Communications, Republic Polytechnic

DID      : 6222 8968  

Mobile: 9735 7760

Email: emma_sue@rp.sg

About GEMS

GEMS (Go-the-Extra-Mile-for-Service) was launched in October 2005 by Minister Raymond Lim as a nation-wide movement to raise service levels and develop a culture of service excellence. It is supported by an Executive Committee (EXCO), comprising members of diverse backgrounds, including businessmen, union leaders and representatives from the media and government agencies. The GEMS movement seeks to encourage everyone – from businessmen to service workers to customers – to play their part and take the initiative to improve service levels.

·          As a Service Worker - demonstrate the capability of performing ordinary task in extraordinary ways in the normal course of your duties.

·          As an Employer / Management - take the lead to create a service culture and system within your organisation to excel in service delivery.

·          As a Customer - encourage great service by showing simple gestures of appreciations such as smile, greet and thank for service rendered by the service providers.

About Republic Polytechnic

The first educational institution in Singapore to adopt the Problem-Based Learning approach for all its diploma programmes, Republic Polytechnic has five schools and two centres offering twenty six diploma courses in Information & Communications Technology, Engineering, Applied Science, Technology for the Arts, Sports, Health & Leisure, Innovation and Enterprise, 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

About Singapore Workforce Development Agency

The Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) seeks to enhance the employability and competitiveness of our workforce to meet the changing needs of Singapore’s economy. Working with industry, unions, employers, economic agencies, professional associations and training organisations, the agency’s efforts are targeted at supporting industry growth by building a pipeline of workers through training and skills upgrading, and raising industry standards through enhancing manpower capabilities. For more information, visit www.wda.gov.sg