WHEN the next Institute of Technical Education (ITE) mega campus is ready in 2010, students can look forward to a vibrant learning environment with special emphasis on service-oriented training.

For ITE College West, which groups together five existing campuses holding about 2,000 students each, will be a centre for 'service excellence', offering a range of niches courses in service, hospitality and retail, to meet the manpower demands of the service industry.

It will have mock hotel rooms as well as training kitchens and restaurants for students taking courses in culinary art or hospitality.

The state-of-the-art college, which is being built on a 9.54 ha site at the junction of Bukit Batok Road and Choa Chu Kang Way, is the second of ITE's regional campuses after ITE College East at Simei Avenue.

Its third regional campus, ITE College Central in Ang Mo Kio, is slated to ready by 2011.

Unveiling the design and features of the new ITE College West on Monday, its principal Yew Tiek Ming said that the school was built to support the growth of the hospitality and tourism sector.

With the upcoming Integrated Resorts and other tourism projects, there will be high demand for the college's graduates, he added.

'In addition to excellent career skills, we also want to imbue in our students a service excellence mindset,' he said.

Speaking at the unveiling ceremony, Minister of State for Education and Manpower Gan Kim Yong said the new ITE College West will set new benchmarks in promoting a vibrant learning environment.

'Students will have the opportunity to learn using the latest technology and pedagogy, including experiential learning through simulated training techniques,' said Mr Gan, adding that they will also have the opportunity to learn from the best in class internationally, with the upcoming tie-ups with two world world-famous institutions in France and Switzerland for culinary training and hospitality management.

The college will be modelled as a 'borderless campus', where learning can take place anywhere and everywhere - from an innovation walkway, to a real business environment set right in the heart of the campus.

A unique feature will be the live convention centre in the centre of the campus - complete with a sports village, restaurants and even a car showroom open to the public - to simulate hospitality training.

Mr Gan announced that Gammon Capital, an international consortium, has won the bid to build the new college.