Honing in on a hospitable futureMDIS in the News

Honing in on a hospitable future

Honing in on a hospitable future

After attaining her Victorian Certificate of Education — the Australian equivalent of the A-levels — Ms Samantha Tan tried two institutions in Malaysia and was offered a place at an Australian university, before deciding on the Management Development Institute of Singapore (MDIS) in 2014.

“Travel and tourism was always at the back of my mind,” she said, after discontinuing her studies in media and business management. “MDIS offered it, and I liked the campus.”

Now 24, Ms Tan is a full-time student at MDIS, pursuing a Master of Science Tourism and Hospitality.

Her degree is offered by the University of Sunderland, United Kingdom. Last year, she graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in International Tourism and Hospitality Management from the same university.

AN INSTITUTE OF CHOICE

She said her decision to join MDIS was driven in part by the helpful staff. “The programme consultant looked at my qualifications and pulled out all the brochures for the courses I could join.”

According to Ms Tan, life at MDIS isn’t just about lectures, tutorials and assignments.

She said: “On top of the Sunderland modules, MDIS offers practical workshops on business etiquette, interviewing skills and writing resumes.

“There is a fun hospitality training centre called Tropical Breeze, where we learnt how to brew coffee like a barista, table settings and how to use the property management system, which is a universal hotel management system.”

MDIS’ resources extend beyond school grounds. “Our lecturers are able to recommend jobs to us if we are looking for one. MDIS has a job portal where interested employers can access our resumes. MDIS partners several companies that trust MDIS to produce quality students.”

A FUTURE IN TOURISM

Ms Tan, who is graduating this year, is eager to contribute to the local tourism industry.

“Many countries are becoming more reliant on self-service technologies. The standard of customer service is dropping. My vision is to retain the value of customer service with a human touch, and I want Singapore to perfect it.

“I hope to help Singapore progress, and maintain the tourism sector’s standards in the future. I believe that tourism is important for the development of all countries, and it is the reason why I put my faith in this field.”

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