Education | Gaming : Melco supports life-long learning programs

Casino operator Melco Crown Entertainment is betting on life-long learning programs to help staff members develop their careers, as a second batch of graduates from the “Back to School” program yesterday received their high school diplomas from Lawrence Ho, the company’s co-chairman and CEO.
The company hosted a graduation ceremony for the recent graduates. The six staff members are currently serving in positions ranging from dealers to pit supervisors.
They had enrolled in the “Back to School” program, which was first launched by Melco in 2010. The in-house high school diploma program was conducted in partnership with the Luso-Chinese school Luis Gonzaga Gomes, and the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau (DSEJ).
The program’s classes are taught at the company’s properties to ensure greater schedule flexibility, as many employees work on shifts. The six graduates attended three-
hour classes five days a week over a three-year period.
Ng Nga Leng, a dealer at City of Dreams and one of the graduates, said, “After leaving school for over 20 years, I never imagined I would have another chance to finish my high school diploma. I also wanted to be a role model for my two sons studying at secondary school.”
She added that the company’s management gave the participating staff members all the support they needed, making special shift arrangements so that she could attend classes.
“I have been offered a scholarship to further my studies at the Macau Polytechnic Institute. Being able to get a bachelor’s degree was something I could only dream of, but thanks to this program I completed the first step—the high school diploma,” she recalled.
Akiko Takahashi, the company’s executive vice president and chief human resources-corporate social responsibility officer, recalled that CSR has been part of Melco’s strategy and vision from day one.
She stressed that the “Back to School” program offers employees an opportunity not only to complete high school, but also to allow them to further their studies at a university if they so wish.
Ms Takahashi also stressed that Melco employees are encouraged to try out different areas within the company.
Yesterday, Melco Crown Entertainment also announced the winner of its “Dare to Dream” program. Having partnered with the Tertiary Education Services Office, the casino operator challenged local students to design a villa set in a landscape for an opportunity to undertake an internship at the Zaha Hadid Architects headquarters in London.
Five students were named finalists. Choi Cheng I, a fourth-
year student at the Glasgow School of Art, won the Zaha Hadid Design Competition and will start her internship later this year.
Melco Crown’s co-chairman and CEO, Lawrence Ho, said: “We have always put emphasis on developing our colleagues and helping them reach their full potential. At the same time, we are also committed to inculcating interests in arts and culture in Macau.” CP

Operators might ponder austerity measures

The co-chairman and CEO of Melco Crown Entertainment, Lawrence Ho, has acknowledged that if the local government is considering austerity measures in case the gaming industry does not recover soon, then local businesses and gaming operators might have to do the same.
Speaking on the sidelines of a ceremony held yesterday by Melco Crown, Mr Ho said, “If the government is looking at austerity measures, maybe a lot of businesses or gaming operators will have to look at it as well.”
He recalled that “even if it starts stabilizing at this level and based on what the Secretary for Economy and Finance has said…this is kind of right at the level where the government might need to look at austerity measures, which would be less than ideal.”
Nevertheless, Mr Ho recalled that City of Dreams opened in June 2009 in the middle of a global financial crisis. “I think we’ve come to get used to the fact that we opened our properties during downturns,” he said, stressing that there are attractions that his company is bringing into the market that are something completely new.
Melco Crown Entertainment will be opening Studio City, their new property on the Cotai Strip, later this year.