Ascott shuts Newton training centre ahead of lease expiry, lays off 6 staff

[SINGAPORE] Ascott, the wholly owned lodging business unit of CapitaLand Investment, is winding down its hospitality training centre in Newton and laying off six trainers and administrative staff.

Responding to queries from The Business Times, the hospitality giant said its Ascott Centre for Excellence (ACE) will cease its Continuing Education and Training (CET) programmes from Jun 1, with the training facility set to close as its lease expires.

The affected employees are not covered under a collective agreement with any union, said Ascott. The company has engaged with the relevant stakeholders and is supporting affected employees in line with applicable requirements and company practices. (* See amendment note)

Located at Anthony Road, the 12,000 sq m ACE was launched in 2008 to provide hospitality training for both Ascott associates and the broader industry through its CET programmes.

“During this time, Singapore’s CET landscape has matured considerably, with a much wider range of hospitality training options now available in the industry,” said the spokesperson for Ascott.

Such options include programmes offered at the Singapore Institute of Hospitality and Republic Polytechnic’s School of Hospitality.

The spokesperson added: “As we reviewed ACE’s mandate alongside Ascott’s own growth and evolving training needs, coupled with the impending expiration of ACE’s lease at Newton, we made the decision to discontinue its CET programmes.”

While the training centre will be shut and CET programmes discontinued, ACE will continue to operate under the Ascott Global Academy for Excellence (AGAX), a global platform launched in 2024 to support workforce development across Ascott’s portfolio.

Under AGAX, Ascott has rolled out a structured programme, including mentorship, on-the-job training and project-based learning to fast-track high-potential associates into leadership roles.

The Newton area includes sites that were part of a cluster of transitional office developments introduced by the government between 2007 and 2011. Seven such plots, including those around Scotts Road and Anthony Road near Newton MRT station, were rolled out to provide interim office space. The leases for these seven sites were set to expire between 2022 and 2026.

UOB Kay Hian relocated from its four-storey Anthony Road development in 2025 to UE Square after the lease at its transitional office site expired. The brokerage had clinched the 15-year leasehold plot in a state tender in 2008.

Newton is earmarked for redevelopment into a mixed-use “urban village” under the Urban Redevelopment Authority Draft Master Plan 2025.

Over the next 10 to 15 years, more greenery, amenities and housing, including about 5,000 private homes, are slated to come up in the 26-hectare precinct, which includes Newton Circus, Scotts Road and Monk’s Hill.

*Amendment note: The article has been updated for clarity.