World Expo Volunteers Train To Become Ambassadors for Singapore

Singapore, 26 March 2010 – The Singapore Pavilion will see 60 volunteers give up their personal time to become ambassadors for Singapore at the Shanghai World Expo this year. With this being Singapore’s largest undertaking at any World Exposition to date, the team of volunteers will undergo a specially tailored three-day training programme to prepare them for their stint. Two training sessions will be conducted, one in Singapore from 26 to 28 March and the other in Shanghai from 16 to 18 April. This is to cater to the volunteers who are currently located in either place.

Developed by the Singapore Tourism Board with the help of NTUC Learning Hub, the programme will guide volunteers on service etiquette, cultural norms in China as well as the latest developments in Singapore related to tourism and the Expo’s theme of urban sustainability. Most importantly, the programme aims to infuse volunteers with much enthusiasm and passion so that they can bring the Singapore experience to Singapore Pavilion visitors.

Commenting on the training programme, Mr Zee Yoong Kang, CEO of NTUC LearningHub said, “Building upon our years of training experience, NTUC LearningHub has developed a three-day training programme with experiential learning as a key component for the volunteers. The Pavilion is a showcase of Singapore to an international audience and the volunteers will be an integral part of the experience. Our training will place emphasis on Singaporean values through interactive activities and role playing. Through this, the volunteers will then be able to deliver experiences with a Singapore touch to visitors to the Pavilion.”

The recruitment process started in December last year at the local tertiary institutions. In addition, Singaporeans based in Shanghai or with experience working in China were recruited.

“The World Expo takes place only once every five years and we wanted to engage students in this rare opportunity to gain exposure in one of the world’s fastest growing economy as well as experience the world coming together at the same time. We started off the volunteer recruitment process at the tertiary institutions and were pleasantly surprised to see applicants from different walks of life, all wanting to represent Singapore. Drawing on their personal experiences of Singapore, these volunteers will play an important role to complement and complete the Singapore experience at the pavilion.” said Ms Leong See Kay, Director, World Expo 2010, Singapore Tourism Board.

Aside from the tertiary student profile, the list of volunteers also includes Singaporean students currently studying in Shanghai’s Fudan University, a businesswoman and an ex-beauty queen who is actively involved in charity work in Shanghai. While most of them are Singaporeans, Malaysians and mainland Chinese, have also volunteered and been chosen to volunteer with the Singapore Pavilion.

Summing it up, 21-year-old Li Jun Yi, who speaks four languages, said, “As a permanent resident here, I feel that it is my responsibility to introduce Singapore to the world. This is a rare opportunity and I believe it would be a great one to build friendships and life experiences.”

Volunteers were selected for their understanding of Singapore’s culture and history. Aside from being proficient in both English and Mandarin, volunteers had to commit to a sufficient period of service. The volunteers will augment a team of specialized guides to be involved in various areas of operations including events programming and hospitality services to guide VIPs and visitors on the journey through the Pavilion to experience how Singapore is a great destination to live, work and play.