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‘Service is not servitude’

Far East Hospitality is reaching out to local universities and polytechnics in an attempt to correct the impression among fresh graduates that working in sectors such as hospitality and retail means that one becomes a servant.

Far East Hospitality is reaching out to local universities and polytechnics in an attempt to correct the impression among fresh graduates that working in sectors such as hospitality and retail means that one becomes a servant.

Fresh graduates are shunning the hospitality and retail sectors, as they think this kind of work is beneath them, leading to a crunch in an industry already hit by curbs on foreign workers.

Mr Arthur Kiong, chief executive of Far East Hospitality, was recently at Nanyang Polytechnic persuading a graduating batch of students to make a career in tourism and hospitality.

“They have a diploma in tourism and hospitality, but many will be using it as a stepping stone to do something else. They said that they do not want to go into tourism and hospitality as it’s hard work,” he told TODAY.

“We want to change the mindset of young talent that service is servitude, service is servile, service is dirty, and service is hard work. We are educating our recruits, telling them that we are not servants,” he said.

“Instead, we are performers and we are in the business of creating experiences for our customers. We encourage artistically and theatrically inclined people to join us,” he added. Rumi Hardasmalani

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