By Lim Wei Chean

Resorts World at Sentosa has launched its first major recruitment drive, and has moved to see if it can hire workers who have been retrenched, including those from DBS Bank.

The integrated resort (IR) has started to fill 300 fairly senior positions - 200 managers and 100 supervisors - to take charge of its 20ha Universal Studios theme park.

To attract applicants, it will dangle a special carrot: a chance to go to Universal Studios Orlando in the United States for a training stint that could last up to four months.

At the launch of the drive yesterday, the IR's head of human resources, Ms Seah-Khoo Ee Boon, said: 'Resorts World at Sentosa is open to working with organisations that may be undergoing restructuring, including banks.'

DBS confirmed that it is in talks with the resort.

Resorts World at Sentosa

Said a spokesman for the bank: 'It is our priority to help DBS staff with the transition. What's more, the bank has been in talks with companies in various industries with regard to outplacement and career opportunities just for them.'

The resort will not say how many local people and foreigners it will hire.

But Ms Seah-Khoo said: 'We have always promised and are committed to hire as many locals as possible.'

She conceded, however, that some of the 200 managerial positions on offer will have to be filled by foreigners, as there are few here who have experience in working at such attractions. The resort is currently in talks with people from overseas theme parks like Disneyland.

But she said that the rest will mostly be Singaporeans. Most of the 100 supervisors, she said, are likely to be Singaporeans, and they are the ones who will be sent for the Orlando training stint.

The positions on offer now include ride and show service managers, attraction supervisors and executive chefs.

When asked about starting salaries for the jobs, Ms Seah-Khoo declined to comment, citing 'competitive reasons'.

But she added that they would be 'commensurate' with market rates.

Among the first to be hired for Universal Studios Singapore was Ms Karen Lim. The 32-year-old had previously worked in Ducktours and looked after attractions in Sentosa Leisure Group.

She will be looking after admissions to the park for Resorts World at Sentosa.

She said: 'I was willing to take a pay cut just to be part of the team.'

Ms Karen Lim is hired at Universal Studios Singapore

Resorts World at Sentosa has also arranged for 100 students from Singapore Polytechnic, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Nanyang Polytechnic and Temasek Polytechnic to be the first to get internships at the Universal Studios parks in the US.

This, the company said, is part of its promise to bring benefits to Singapore.

The recruitment drive for theme park workers is a prelude to a bigger campaign in June next year, when the resort, which opens in March 2010, will look to fill the bulk of the 10,000 positions available.

Ms Seah-Khoo said it is holding talks now with various government agencies on recruitment and training initiatives.

By the end of next year, Ms Seah-Khoo expects to increase the number of staff on the payroll to 8,000. The remaining 2,000 will be hired just before the resort's opening.

Singapore's two IRs are expected to generate some 20,000 jobs.

Response has been keen: Marina Bay Sands, which kicked off its hiring blitz late last month, has received more than 10,000 responses to date.

weichean@sph.com.sg

For more information on positions available at Resorts World at Sentosa, go to www.rwsentosa.com/en_careers.html

This article was first published in The Straits Times on Nov 11, 2008.

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