Sands China Highlights 2023 Talent Development Excellence Achievement at Sharing Session
(Macao, Jan 18, 2024) – Sands China Ltd. celebrated the achievements of its various human resources initiatives with the Sands China Youth Development Excellence Achievement Session Wednesday at The Londoner® Macao. With the theme of "Dream Big! Let your career soar," the event highlighted the success of the company in achieving talent development excellence last year through videos and the sharing of experiences.
"Young people are the future pillars of society. For this reason, Sands China has remained committed to nurturing local talents, who aspire to thrive in tourism development, by helping them equip themselves with knowledge and skills to pursue their dreams," said Dr. Wilfred Wong, president of Sands China Ltd. "We actively explore changes and keep abreast of the times as the market evolves. Additionally, we have been working closely with the government, top universities and educational institutions to brainstorm and launch various training programmes that are diverse, high-quality, and dynamic, based on the needs of young people. This event is part of our effort to support the Macao government's policies of 'Macao thrives on education' and 'building Macao through talent training' – promoting the vigorous development of the local tourism industry."
To date, Sands China has launched over 17 training programmes customised for young people – covering various areas such as food and beverage, hotel operations, facilities management, and business analysis – comprising more than 500 participants, of which over 440 have graduated. The training programmes include:
Some of the abovementioned programmes were delivered through the Sands Hospitality Academy, one of the eight sub-academies of the Sands China Academy. The Sands Hospitality Academy seeks to equip the company's hospitality practitioners, such as hotel and restaurant managers, with practical skills and knowledge to help them exemplify international industry standards for exceptional levels of service quality and performance.
Last year, over 70 trainees completed some of these talent development programmes. At the Jan. 17 sharing session, Sands China's management team commended 21 of the trainees for their excellent performance, ingenuity, and positive attitude. Additionally, four trainees who participated in different programmes shared their experiences, encouraging young talent to further contribute to Macao and its tourism industry.
Guests of honour at Wednesday's sharing session were Wong Chi Hong, director of the Labour Affairs Bureau; Chan Un Tong, deputy director of the Labour Affairs Bureau; Lei Ka Keng, head of the Employment Department of the Labour Affairs Bureau; Cheong Man Fai, head of the Department of Youth of the Education and Youth Development Bureau; Dr. Wilfred Wong; and Grant Chum, chief operating officer of Sands China Ltd.
Sands China offers a variety of horizontal and vertical mobility opportunities to its team members through the Sands China Academy. Since 2004, team members have earned more than 22,500 vertical promotions, and have taken advantage of over 9,800 horizontal career moves. Over the years, the academy has provided more than 18 million on-the-job training hours for its team members.
As of 2023, Sands China had delivered more than 2.1 million on-the-job training hours to team members. On average, each Sands China team member receives approximately 93 hours of training, higher than the standard of 41 hours introduced by the Association for Talent Development (ATD).
The company's focus on providing team members with ideal development prospects has led to loyalty and longevity. In 2023, over 13,000 team members celebrated anniversaries for 10 or more years of service, representing over 50 per cent of Sands China's workforce; more than 6,500 of them have now served the company for 15 years or more, and over 20 team members have reached the milestone of 20 years of service.
The company's nurturing of team members has resulted in a substantial growth in the ratio of Macao locals in management positions – more than quadrupling from 20 per cent in 2004 to 92 per cent in 2023.
Photo caption: Sands China celebrates the achievements of its various human resources initiatives with the Sands China Youth Development Excellence Achievement Session Wednesday at The Londoner Macao. With the theme of "Dream Big! Let your career soar," the event highlighted the success of the company in achieving talent development excellence last year through videos and the sharing of experiences.
Photo caption: Sands China President Dr. Wilfred Wong speaks at the Sands China Youth Development Excellence Achievement Session Wednesday at The Londoner Macao.
Photo caption: Four trainees who participated in various programmes share their experiences at the Sands China Youth Development Excellence Achievement Session Wednesday at The Londoner Macao, encouraging young talent to further contribute to Macao and its tourism industry.
Photo caption: Graduates from Sands China's talent development programmes gather on stage with government officials, Sands China's management team, and other guests at the Sands China Youth Development Excellence Achievement Session Wednesday at The Londoner Macao. To date, Sands China has launched over 17 training programmes customised for young people, comprising more than 500 participants, of which over 440 have graduated.