nex partners e2i to conduct mall orientation training to make workers more “mall-savvy”
Singapore, 15 September 2010 – nex, slated to be North-East Singapore’s largest mall, i
partnering the e2i (Employment and Employability Institute) on an intensive recruitment drive
to prepare and identify qualified candidates who will champion service excellence in over 2,000
Retail and Food & Beverage (F&B) jobs in the mall. One key highlight of the collaboration is a
customised mall orientation training programme, a first for a mall in Singapore, with the
objective to equip all tenants with the skills to understand the mall’s facilities and policies,
profiles of shoppers so that they can know how best to serve and provide a more personalised
ervice to customers.
At this recruitment drive, Employability Coaches from e2i screened and shortlisted job seeker
to identify suitable candidates to meet the diverse needs of the mall’s wide range of shops.
Those shortlisted would also be referred to attend various service related training courses such
as personal grooming and customer service skills. (Please refer to Annex A for details on the
training courses).
“There will be two unique features to this project. Firstly, shoppers will find that the mall’s service staff is ready to deliver good service even beyond their outlet. The staff will be trained tobe competent in their work and also to be ‘mall-savvy’. Through the mall orientationprogramme, staff can provide more personalised and value-added services to customers sincethey have good knowledge on the mall’s facilities and offerings,” said Mr Ang Hin Kee, ChiefExecutive Officer of e2i. “Secondly, many of the staff the shoppers will encounter may be theirneighbours as many will be hired from around the neighbouring areas. This truly brings bothshopping convenience and employment opportunities right to their door steps,” added Mr Ang. By the time nex opens in November, customers will find that the majority of workers, regardless of the outlet, are all knowledgeable about the mall, are able to extend help when asked for directions and, more importantly, deliver a consistent level of customer service throughout.
Mr Seah Kian Peng, MP for Marine Parade GRC and Adviser to Marine Parade GRC grassroot
organisations, commends nex and e2i for this initiative and is excited about the project, “With
the vast number of job openings that nex has to offer, and the associated training provided by
e2i, there is every reason that any resident looking for a job should be able to get one and at the
ame time, becomes better skilled in the process. With the convenience of a workplace within
walking distance, it also means residents working at this mall will also save time and money.”
Mr Michael Leong, Executive Director, Guthrie Consultancy Service Pte Ltd, manager of nex,
reiterates, “The Industry Previews, the customised Mall Orientation Training and the 2,000 over
jobs are all part of nex’s unwavering commitment to the community – by generating
employment, training job seekers as ‘service ambassadors’ for the mall so as to deliver a higher
level of shopping experience for our valued customers.”
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About nex
trategically located at 23 Serangoon Central, nex will be the largest mall in North East
ingapore. This 6-storey mall is fully integrated with the new Serangoon Bus Interchange and
the Serangoon Interchange Station, where the North East Line and the newly opened Circle Line
intersect. Positioned to be the vibrant, social and recreational hub for the North East
community, nex will feature a comprehensive and eclectic mix of retail, entertainment and
dining options, including 350 specialty shops, the Serangoon Public Library, a dog park (another
first for a Singapore mall) and an extended-hours retail and F&B zone. Raising the standard for
malls in the heartland, nex will be the convergence point for all those working, studying and
living in the North East.
About e2i (Employment and Employability Institute)
NTUC’s e2i (Employment and Employability Institute) is a one-stop, skills-based institute for job
eekers, employers and training providers. It has a job bank of over 12,000, and assisted over
60,000 job seekers through training and finding new and better jobs in 2009. To help job seeker
meet the hiring requirements of employers, e2i conducts employment coaching, career
coaching, as well as employability and skills training. e2i serves all segments of workers from
rank and file to professionals, managers, executives and technicians. An initiative of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), it is supported by the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA), the Singapore Labour Foundation (SLF), and the Singapore National Employer Federation (SNEF).
Owner of nex
Gold Ridge Pte Ltd is the owner and developer of the retail project nex. The ultimate
hareholders of Gold Ridge Pte Ltd - a special-purpose vehicle incorporated to develop the
project, comprise mainly institutional investors from USA and Europe. Pramerica Real Estate
Investors (Asia) Pte Ltd (“Pramerica Asia”) is the asset manager for these investors in relation to
nex. Established in 1994, Pramerica Asia provides real estate investment management and
advisory services for property investments throughout Asia. It is the Asian arm of Pramerica Real Estate Investors, the global real estate investment management and advisory business of
Prudential Financial, Inc.* of the United States (NYSE: PRU), which offers a broad range of global products and funds to institutional investors worldwide. The existing shopping centre portfolio managed by Pramerica Asia includes Tiong Bahru Plaza, Century Square, Hougang Mall, White Sands, Liang Court, Jurong Point 2 and Tampines 1.
*Pramerica is a trade name used by Prudential Financial, which is headquartered in the United
tates, and is not affiliated in any manner with Prudential plc of the United Kingdom.
Mall Manager
Guthrie Consultancy Services Pte Ltd is the project manager, retail consultant, marketing and
mall manager for the retail project nex. It is part of Guthrie GTS Ltd, a company listed on the
ingapore Stock Exchange. Guthrie Group’s core businesses encompass the property,
engineering and leisure sectors. The Group’s Property Division is a major retail player in both the local and regional markets; which directly or indirectly owns and manages more than four
million square feet of retail real estate.