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TWO ambitious management trainees are learning the ropes of the hospitality industry in Bahrain ... as part of a unique international employee exchange programme.
The Ascott Group has welcomed Ryan Nig and Foo Tun Tshen from Singapore to the kingdom.
They are spending the first nine months at one of the company's premier serviced residences - Somerset Al Fateh in Manama - before completing their training in Qatar.
Mr Nig, 30, said: "Bahrain is an ideal destination and I feel this training will help accelerate my professional understanding of the industry."
Mr Tshen, 27, added: "The region has a lot going for it and it is the right time for us to be here. Bahrain has a lot of potential - this is a great place for the hospitality sector to grow."
The trainees will work at different departments in the residence including sales and marketing, housekeeping, front office, security, human resources, finance and engineering.
They were selected as pioneers of the programme to the Middle East beating off stiff competition from hundreds of applications.
The 18-month Management Immersion Programme is a part of the International Business Fellowship Programme (IBFP) of Singapore.
Mr Nig has experience with a shipping line and prior to that was an engineer. He said: "It is the best way to train. It is also great to be exposed to a completely different culture."
Mr Tshen, who gained experience with Singapore Airlines' in-flight services and its food and beverages section, added: "People are friendly here and take time out to greet us on the streets or in shops. In Singapore people tend to keep their distance from one another."
Maristela Carlos, an employee from the Ascott Group in Bahrain, was also sent as part of the hospitality exchange programme to Singapore.
Ms Carlos, 31, visited the Ascott Training Centre in Singapore for a two-week training programme where she was awarded the WOW service certificate that acknowledges employees reaching a level of high-quality customer services.
She has also received On the Job Trainer (OJT) status and her responsibilities now include training the company staff in maintaining company standards.
The award-winning Ascott Group, with headquarters in Singapore, is the largest international serviced residence owner-operator outside the US with close to 14,000 operating serviced residence units in key cities of Asia Pacific, Europe and the Gulf region, as well as 5,500 units which are under development.
The Group operates three brands - Ascott, Somerset and Citadines. Its portfolio spans 53 cities in 23 countries, 11 of which are cities where Ascott's serviced residences are being newly-developed.
