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Shatec closing down: Lianhe Zaobao
No longer taking in new students.
Belmont Lay
July 01, 2025, 05:37 PM
Shatec, a Singapore institute that has trained individuals for the hospitality industry over the last four decades, is closing down.
Lianhe Zaobao reported that it has been gradually winding down operations since April 2025, citing the reason that its current operating model is difficult to sustain.
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Its Bukit Batok campus building has been put up for sale in May for S$18 million.
Orchard branch closed
Its Orchard campus in Tourism Court, which had been in operation for a year, closed at the end of June this year.
Courses are still ongoing at the main Bukit Batok Street 22 campus but will be discontinued.
Zaobao reported that the courses include the final round of pre-employment training (PET) courses, which are professional diploma programmes, as well as continuing education and training (CET) courses for adult learners.
All courses are expected to be discontinued by the first quarter of 2026.
A Shatec receptionist who responded to queries on Jul. 1 said there will not be any further intake of new students at the moment, but more information is not readily available.
Email about winding down operations
Zaobao reported that it saw a Shatec email to alumni dated Mar. 27 that stated that the institute would gradually suspend its operations from Apr. 1.
It was revealed in the email from its executive director that Shatec was evaluating its operations and business practices after a new management team took over in January 2025.
It was concluded that the current model of operations was not viable and would be wound down from Apr. 1, which was a difficult decision for the board to make.
Real estate company CBRE was appointed as the marketing agent to sell the Bukit Batok campus building.
The three-storey building is priced at about S$18 million and the lease ends in 2051.
Shatec chairman Loh Lik Peng told Mothership: "Shatec is currently in the early stages of reviewing its long-term plans. The sale of the building is part of Shatec’s asset management strategy."
"As the review is still ongoing, we are unable to provide further comments," he added.
On Zaobao's queries on why the operation was suspended and the school building was sold, the number of students affected, and whether it planned to stop permanently, Shatec and the Singapore Hotel Association (SHA) did not give a direct answer.
In August 2024, Shatec announced that it was moving away from pre-employment training to continuing education and training programmes.
The writing was apparently already on the wall when the Sapling Restaurant, run by Shatec, closed on Mar. 7, 2025.
42-year history
Shatec was established by SHA in 1983.
The pioneer institution has about 40,000 graduates so far, many of whom are industry leaders in the local and overseas tourism and hotel industries, Zaobao reported.
Since 2012, it has been appointed by the government as a continuing education and training centre, where students are given subsidies when enrolling in courses as part of Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) system.
