FOR the first time, a big name in the hospitality industry is opening the doors of its training centre to the public.

The new Ascott Centre for Excellence, which is aimed at mid-career workers, will see employees of the Ascott Group studying subjects such as guest interaction and risk management together with paying members of the public when classes start in October.

The centre will market its courses to small or mid-range hotels, which do not have the resources to run such programmes.

Indeed, general managers of boutique hotels which The Straits Times spoke to said the Centre's setup helps to fill a gap in the industry, as they lack the large human resource departments or dedicated trainers found in larger hotels.

Tourism and hospitality training is among the most sought after in Singapore today, as the industry rides a boom fuelled by record arrivals. Prospects are even brighter in the months and years ahead, with events such as the upcoming Formula One race and the opening of the integrated resorts in two years' time.

Already, courses on subjects such as hotel management are among the hottest in the polytechnics, and are regularly oversubscribed.

The opening of the centre also ties in with a push by the Government to improve continuing education opportunities for workers here.

Read the full story in Saturday's edition of The Straits Times.