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Speaking at the signing ceremony, NTUC Secretary-General, Ng Chee Meng said: "I hope that at Mandai Rainforest Resort, that human touch can shine through regardless of whether (you are a) young person or an older person and show the warmth of Singapore’s hospitality."
Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the Food, Drinks & Allied Workers’ Union (FDAWU) and Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) on 27 October 2025, as part of a commitment to supporting senior employment and facilitating career transitions.
MoU with FDAWU to facilitate upskilling
Under the first MoU with FDAWU, Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree will jointly form a Company Training Committee (CTC) and facilitate the upskilling of its workers.
Sankaradass S. Chami, General Secretary of FDAWU said: "The Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree’s MoU with FDAWU sets a clear path for supporting workers’ growth and skills development.
"Through the CTC, we will work with the resort’s management to align transformation with job redesign and upskilling, ensuring every worker, especially senior staff, is equipped to meet the demands of a changing hospitality landscape."
"We want every worker to feel happy and valued at work."
Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), Ng Chee Meng, added: “NTUC is glad that Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree has embraced this CTC partnership with the Labour Movement early in its journey. This exemplifies how NTUC, together with our unions and partners, supports companies in building a resilient and future-ready workforce.
"Through this partnership, over 200 workers, representing up to 80% of the resort’s workforce, will stand to be uplifted through training and transformation efforts that enhance their skills and work prospects."
"With such trust and collaboration, workers can continue delivering world-class experiences to Mandai Rainforest Resort’s guests."
MoU with e2i
The second MoU, with NTUC’s e2i, aims to reinforce a shared commitment to strengthen workforce development and employability by enhancing job security, career progression, and skills development, while building a strong and inclusive workforce.
Complementing the industry-union collaboration, Workforce Singapore is also partnering Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree to implement initiatives that strengthen the career health of the workforce through proactive career and skills development, supporting business productivity and improving talent attraction and retention.
"At Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree, we are committed to building meaningful opportunities for senior workers and to play an active role in Singapore’s broader workforce strategy. Both MoUs with FDAWU and e2i reflect our commitment in ensuring that our associates have the opportunity to grow, contribute, and build long-term success in hospitality," said Glen Cook, General Manager of Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree.
"Through the CTC with FDAWU and our collaboration with e2i, we aim to equip our people with emerging skills and create pathways for seniors and other underrepresented groups."
"As Banyan Group’s first property in Singapore, this initiative combines our world-class hospitality with community-focused employment solutions. We look forward to working closely with FDAWU, e2i and our community partners to translate these agreements into long-term career pathways."
Caryn Lim, Chief Executive Officer , NTUC’s e2i shared: “The partnership with Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree allows e2i to bring recruitment and job awareness activities — such as experiential job tours — closer to diverse talent groups.
"Through this collaboration, we aim to open meaningful pathways for workers to access quality employment and build sustainable careers. It also reaffirms our shared commitment to strengthening the Singaporean Core by enabling our workforce to stay relevant and resilient in the fast-evolving hospitality sector."
Kenneth Wong, Director of Trade & Lifestyle Division at Workforce Singapore, reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to workforce development, saying: “Workforce Singapore welcomes this meaningful partnership between FDAWU, NTUC’s e2i and Mandai Rainforest Resort and is committed to a tripartite collaboration to strengthen our local workforce.
"We will continue to work with employers like Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree to build their workforce's career health and equip employees with emerging skills aligned with the Jobs Transformation Map, creating sustainable career pathways.”
During his speech at the event, held at the resort’s Meranti Ballroom, SG Ng shared his appreciation to Mandai Rainforest Resort for reaching out to NTUC and working in conjunction with the union to offer Singaporean seniors more opportunities in the hospitality industry if they choose to continue working.
"This will become more and more important as our workforce population ages. But we all know the hospitality industry is transforming rapidly, just like other industries that are impacted by digitalisation, artificial intelligence, and more and more changing guest expectations that reshape the way we work."
He echoed Cook's opening address, wherein Cook highlighted that the two MoU signings mark the commitment to support Singapore's national manpower initiatives through creating meaningful careers and investing in every associate to build a stronger and more resilient future for the hospitality industry.
SG Ng elaborated: "Through this partnership, we will work together with the Resort’s management to transform the business and enhance service excellence and embark on job redesign and upskilling so that our workers, especially our seniors, can have better wages, better welfare, and better work prospects amidst a changing hospitality landscape."
Concluding his speech, SG Ng said: "I hope that at Mandai Rainforest Resort, that human touch can shine through regardless of whether (you are a) young person or an older person and show the warmth of Singapore’s hospitality. Show that we can, together as tripartite partners, work together to forge better outcomes for businesses and better outcomes for workers."
"After all, we are all here to make sure that Singapore can earn a good living for Singaporeans to have a better life."
Located within Mandai Wildlife Reserve, the resort is scheduled to hold its grand opening on 26 November 2025.
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Lead image / SG Ng Chee Meng's Facebook
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