Copthorne King’s and M Hotel in Singapore are proud to be inclusive employers, supporting and integrating persons with disabilities (PWD) as part of their workforce, and empowering them to lead more independent and meaningful lives.
Copthorne King’s Banquet Assistant Mr Lim Kian Liang is one such staff. Graduating from Metta School in 2006, a special education school for children with mild intellectual disability, he started his career at the hotel in March 2019 and has had a rewarding journey thus far. Since joining the hotel, Mr Lim has had the opportunity to upskill, attending trainings such as Basic Food Hygiene Certification and the Post-Covid Service Excellence Course.
Most recently, Mr Lim was also selected to undergo Security Officer training with the Singapore Police Force’s Police Licensing and Regulatory Department (PLRD). The hotel management has always encouraged Training and Development for all hotel talents, and Mr Lim had demonstrated great learning ability and willingness to upskill, as he received training and attended courses to expand his work scope, from Stewarding to Banqueting and Decorator. With this new certification, it will enable Mr Lim to be multi-skilled in cross-disciplines.
Over a span of 11 days, Mr Lim successfully underwent and passed three security courses: Provide Guard & Patrol Services, Incident Response, and Recognise Terrorist Threat. Through these courses, Mr Lim has been equipped with relevant knowledge, such as patrolling, surveillance of property and theft prevention measures.
After completing PLRD training and receiving his Security Officer License, Mr Lim will be undergoing on-the-job training (OJT) with the Hotel Place-and-Train programme (under SkillsFuture and Workforce Singapore). He will join the Security department for about 10 hours a week for up to six months, allowing him to serve as hotel warden at the property’s second level public space, while carrying on with his current role working in Banqueting and at Tien Court. Mr Lim remains a valuable team member who can not only specialise in Banquet operations, but also support the Security team when needed.
Copthorne King’s and M Hotel have also strengthened its inclusive hiring, and is working with various schools for PWD, including MINDS, APSN and Delta School, for placements and internships. Copthorne King’s has also successfully integrated two PWD as full-time staff in the F&B departments, having accepted six trainees annually, though they were unable to accept new placements during the COVID-19 period last year.
