By Amelia Tan

Fifteen scholarships will be offered to needy students of Temasek Polytechnic (TP) over the next five years to groom talent for the tourism industry.

Skal International Singapore, which is part of the international association of tourism and travel professionals, will give three scholarships a year for students doing tourism courses.

The scholarship, which is named after former Skal International Singapore president Paul Armstrong, will cover tuition fees and living expenses.

President of Skal International Singapore, Mr Patrick Fiat, presented a cheque for $37,500 to TP principal and CEO Boo Kheng Hua on Thursday.

Mr Fiat said: 'There is not enough talent in the tourism industry. The labour crunch will intensify with the upcoming integrated resorts.

'We want to help meet the demands of the industry by training young people who are interested in hospitality and tourism.'

The association hopes to offer more scholarships to other schools offering tourism courses in the future.