

9th Cohort of Local SME Suppliers Join Sands Procurement Academy
Record 64 suppliers enrolled in sought-after programme
(Macao, Apr. 14, 2021) – The latest group of
local SME suppliers to join the Sands Procurement
Academy were inaugurated into the programme Wednesday at
a ceremony at The Venetian® Macao's Adelson
Advanced Education Centre. They are the ninth cohort to
date to make use of Sands China's complimentary local
SME training
programme.
Co-organised
with the Macao Chamber of Commerce and the Macau
Productivity and Technology Centre (CPTTM), the Sands
Procurement Academy is a first-of-its-kind industry
training and focuses on delivering practical knowledge
to local SMEs. It shares business knowledge and skills
with local SME suppliers to promote the development of
their businesses, and specifically targets four types of
local suppliers: small- and medium-sized enterprises
(SMEs), micro-enterprises, Macao young entrepreneurs,
and "Made-in-Macao"
enterprises.
"Sands China
remains dedicated to helping groom local SMEs to meet
international standards through the academy, and we're
delighted to have a record 64 suppliers enrolled in the
9th cohort – demonstrating that local SMEs find the
academy's modules effective in helping their
businesses," said Charlie Cai, vice president of
procurement and supply chain for Venetian Macau Limited.
"This year's participants include exhibitors from last
year's Sands Shopping Carnival, existing Sands China
suppliers, and potential new suppliers. We're pleased to
see a variety of enterprises this year, and we open our
doors to all local SMEs to explore establishing a
business relationship with
us."
More than 220
local SME suppliers have graduated from the academy
since its 2017 launch. Academy graduates consistently
share positive feedback from their participation in the
academy's courses and on the impact it has had on their
businesses. Programme graduates receive a completion
certificate and are given preferential procurement
opportunities with Sands China under otherwise equal
circumstances.
The Sands
Procurement Academy supports the third pillar of the
company's F.I.T. programme, which offers
Financial Support, Invitational Matching,
and Training and Development. F.I.T. targets both
existing and new local Sands China suppliers as part of
Sands China's Local Small, Medium and Micro Suppliers
Support Programme. It seeks to continually
increase and strengthen procurement between Sands China
and local SME suppliers by enhancing their
capabilities.
The academy's
participating local SME suppliers learn through
tailor-made practical training modules, presented by
lecturers with diverse areas of expertise. The
programme's modules comprise six topics: logistics
management, quality assurance, procurement contracts,
procurement process and system overview, supplier code
of conduct, and Macao labour law
fundamentals.
In 2015, Sands
China took the initiative to co-launch the Local Small,
Medium and Micro Suppliers Support Programme with the
Macao Chamber of Commerce, aligning with the Macao
government's initiative to "buy local" and demonstrating
Sands China's commitment to supporting local enterprises
as part of the company's corporate social responsibility
efforts. It is part of Sands China's supplier
relationship management strategy, which guides the
company's long-standing effort to support local
suppliers, whom it views as its strategic
partners.
Photo caption: Mimi Ooi, executive director of
procurement and supply chain for Venetian Macau Limited, speaks
to local SME suppliers being inaugurated into the Sands
Procurement Academy Wednesday at The Venetian Macao's Adelson
Advanced Education Centre.
Photo caption: Sands China inaugurates its ninth group of
local SME suppliers into the Sands Procurement Academy Wednesday
at The Venetian Macao's Adelson Advanced Education Centre. Since
2017, the ongoing training initiative has helped local SME
suppliers gain experience and capacity for working with
large-scale enterprises like Sands China
Ltd.