112 Katong partners e2i to bring more than 800 new jobs to Singaporeans
Singapore, 21 September 2011 – 112 Katong, the premier lifestyle mall located at the intersection of East Coast Road and Joo Chiat Road, is expected to complete its S$60.0 million redevelopment program and commence operations in November/December 2011. In partnership with NTUC’s Employment and Employability Institute (“e2i”), the mall is organising the “Iwant2 Work” Job Fair that will provide Singaporeans with over 800 new retail and Food and Beverage (“F&B”) job opportunities at 112 Katong .
Ms Annie Lee, Executive Director, Perennial (Singapore) Retail Management Pte. Ltd., said, “112 Katong is over 92% leased and is on track to achieve close to 100% occupancy when it commences business end of this year. The “Iwant2 Work” Job Fair provides a convenient and efficient platform to bring together Singaporeans who are seeking job opportunities and 112 Katong’s tenants who are in search of suitable candidates with relevant skills and qualifications to expand their business. 112 Katong is set to provide shoppers and residents in the Eastern-part of Singapore with a stylish and niche destination which offers an unrivalled shopping, dining and lifestyle experience."
Mr Ang Hin Kee, Chief Executive Officer of e2i, said, “With jobseekers, we point them to growing sectors and equip them with the right mindset and skill set for jobs. With employers, we encourage them to hire older workers and back-to-work women, make their jobs more attractive, and plan ahead to train the right people with the right skills. e2i strives to reach out to employers and Singaporeans and enhance the success rate of getting the right match.” e2i has successfully worked with many companies on recruitment, and deepened the partnerships to assist employers through projects such as customising training for service staff to gain better understanding on how to attract shoppers and supporting tenants to raise productivity.
The “Iwant2 Work” Job Fair creates a win-win situation for both tenants and jobseekers. Participating tenants get to engage a large pool of interested jobseekers and benefit from customised customer service trainings offered by e2i. Jobseekers can also choose from a variety of positions offered by 50 tenants at 112 Katong, attend training to prepare for their interviews and sign up for further upgrading courses to improve their competencies; hence improving their success of getting a job. Participating 112 Katong’s tenants include Market Place, Golden Village, Food Republic, Canton Paradise Pte. Ltd., Sushi Tei, T.G.I.Friday’s, Nando’s, Pedro, Browhaus and Strips.
Efforts from both employers and jobseekers are required to achieve the right job fit. While many Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Singapore have expressed that they are feeling the effects of a labour crunch, there are also many job seekers seeking employment. e2i works on sourcing for hiring sectors and raising job seekers’ employability with attitude, skills, and knowledge training. Jobseekers who adopt more flexibility in their attitude find it easier to get hired with the right mindset and skill set. Employers, especially SMEs, are worried about finding local manpower and e2i encourages them to offer better work terms, invest in workers and productivity, redesign jobs, and offer options like flexi-hours to be make themselves more attractive to the local jobseekers. Companies which prepare for manpower needs early operate more efficiently as it is hard to find workers who can meet job requirements in the short term.
The “Iwant2 Work Job Fair” is held at Kampong Ubi Community Centre from 20 to 22 September 2011, from 8.30am to 5.00pm.
112 Katong
Located at the intersection of East Coast Road and Joo Chiat Road, 112 Katong (previously known as Katong Mall), is positioned as the premier lifestyle, F&B and fashion hub in the Eastern-part of Singapore. The revamped shopping mall will comprise six levels of retail and lifestyle shops, two basement levels of car park and a rooftop landscaped garden with wet playground on Level 4. With over 150 specialty shops and selected F&B outlets operating extended hours, 112 Katong is expected to offer shoppers and diners an unrivalled and eclectic mix of retail, dining and entertainment options.
112 Katong is owned by Perennial Katong Retail Trust (PKRT), a private trust constituting a consortium of investors which comprises majority stakeholder, Alpha Investment Partners Limited, and BreadTalk Group Limited. 112 Katong is managed by Perennial (Singapore) Retail Management Pte. Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Perennial Real Estate Pte. Ltd.