Singapore Rising

In this, the Asian Casino Decade, there are many casino development projects that will require an enormous amount of trained, competent, and service oriented casino staff. The most basic problem for all casino owners is: Where do I get good, trained, cost effective staff?

Some factors that will affect recruitment are:

• In Macao the recent and ongoing casino industry expansion has been nothing short of staggering. There are currently no unemployed Macao citizens left who still desire casino jobs.

• In Singapore there are two pending (under construction) large casino properties which will require close to 3,000 casino workers each.

• In Japan they are in a complex process of licensing casinos and should allow at least 12 large properties across the country. Few casino staff that speak Japanese are currently available.

• India's need for infrastructure and social welfare funding will make it consider licensing casinos across many of its provinces and federal territories. Given its size and location, a total of 50 casino licenses are possible.

Vietnam and other potential economic powerhouses will follow with casino licensing using the Singapore model. Just like many of the American States followed Nevada and New Jersey to license casinos over the last 30 years, Asian countries will also come to compete for tourism, taxes, and their share of the regional gaming spend.

At least one Asian country is preparing to supply an answer for training staff. Singapore wants to become a regional center for training for many developing industries. Overseen by the Ministry of Manpower, it is licensing new training facilities at pace, and seems intent on supplying fully trained staff for regional upcoming industries. An example is the International Club Games Training Centre (ICGTC), a privately held casino training center located at Turf City, Singapore.

This location is at the old racetrack in Singapore. Walking into the training center is a surprise as the facility looks like a well designed and fully operational casino. The finishes and décor are high quality and have a professional appearance. Training operates on several shifts to provide for full time workers in other professions.The man in charge of the training center is Ramachandar Siva. He is a former Vice President of Casino Training & Manpower with Star Cruises and was formerly a manager in charge of casino training for the Genting Highlands Resort. In total at both locations he has trained over 10,000 personnel in both game dealing and management skills.

Ramachandar has devised a curriculum specific to the Asian casino industry. He trains processes and procedures unique to Asia, and takes course time to explain the underlying theory behind the procedures. This is so that croupiers and managers realize what they are trying to accomplish with the procedures, and can modify them effectively according to their current and changing needs.

The training centre commenced enrolment in mid-June 2006, and in October 2006, ICGTC launched its joint Diploma program with the Asian Centre for Professional Excellence of Singapore. They offer a Diploma in Leisure Management (Casino Operations Management) and are the first in Singapore to offer hands-on practical training in Dealing, Supervisory and Pit Management, as well as a range of more academic courses.

Given the professionalism of the training classes and the comprehensive nature of the curriculum, this center looks like it will be an asset for improving casino staff performance throughout Asia. Operators should take notice, well trained employees can make a difference.

MEDIA CONTACT

NEETHIYA SADAGOPAL
International Club Games Training Centre
Public Relations & Communication Executive
Tel: (65) 6467 1890
Fax: (65) 6469 8801
neetha@icgtraining.com
www.icgtraining.com