Sports Hub signs MOU with ITE

Students from the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) now have one foot in the door at the Republic's premier sporting facility as they look for job opportunities after finishing their studies. 

The ITE and the Singapore Sports Hub signed a Memorandum of Understanding yesterday, paving the way for students to train with, and gain industry experience through internships, with opportunities available for eventual full-time employment.  

The three-year partnership - the Sports Hub's first with a post-secondary education institution - will see the two parties work to identify students and provide opportunities in fields like events management, sports and recreation management, customer service, business and hospitality operations.

"As the principal provider of technical education in Singapore, the ITE are best placed to help us nurture talent for the local sports and recreation scene. There are many opportunities here for them to discover what they want to do," said Sports Hub chief executive Philippe Collin Delavaud. 

"Human resource is key for the industry and, because we have a lot of different (fields), ITE is a perfect fit for us."  

Already, some of the 300 full-time staff at the Sports Hub already hail from the ITE

The enrolment of students started in October last year, and Roshafika Roslan, who has already completed 10 weeks of internship, said: "This is a great opportunity for us to bring what we learnt in the classroom into real-life (situations)." 

BENEFICIAL

Bruce Poh, ITE's director and chief executive, believes that real-world experiences that such a tie-up will provide his students will help them make a seamless transition from student into working adult. 

"Being able to immerse themselves in the operations of a world-class sport and entertainment venue is invaluable for broadening their learning and future career development in this industry," he said. 

State-of-the-art facilities at the Sports Hub have already played host to musicians like Mariah Carey, been graced by world-class football stars like Neymar when Brazil beat Japan 4-0 last year, and witnessed Singapore's women winning the 2014 Asian Netball Championships. 

And the Sports Hub will be the centrepiece when the country hosts the 28th South-east Asia Games this June.  

Opportunities to get involved in some of the biggest events in the region will not be the only thing ITE students can look forward to.

As part of the partnership, some of the Sports Hub management will guest lecture at ITE colleges, while bursary awards for students will also be made available. 

"We are excited to be welcoming ITE students to our campus to kick start their future career in this field," said Delavaud, who had a special message for the students seated in the lounge at the National Stadium yesterday. 

"This is probably the last time you'll be sitting down," added the Frenchman, smiling. "The next time you're here at the Sports Hub, you'll be with us, standing behind, and ensuring that those who come have a great time."