Melco celebrates Foundation Acceleration Program graduates Fostering local talent in the Culinary Arts

Melco Resorts & Entertainment hosted a special event on October 15 to celebrate the achievements of its Foundation Acceleration Program (Culinary) graduates and welcome the program’s new batch of participants. The event further recognized colleagues for their contributions and commitment towards culinary excellence and sustainable culinary practices.

The event was attended by guests of honor including Mr. Chan Un Tong, Director of Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL); Dr. Fanny Vong Chuk Kwan, Rector of Macao University of Tourism (UTM); Mr. Cheng Wai Tong, Acting Director of Macau Government Tourism Office; Mr. Leong I On, Chief of the Division of Secondary Education of Education and Youth Development Bureau; Mr. Lawrence Ho, Chairman & CEO of Melco; Ms. Akiko Takahashi, Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff to Chairman & CEO; Mr. Alidad Tash, Executive Vice President, Analytics and Gaming Operations; Mr. Kevin Benning, Senior Vice President and Property General Manager of Studio City; Dr. Raymond Lo, Senior Vice President, Head of Global Marketing and General Manager of Altira Macau and Mocha Clubs; and Mr. Calvin Soh, Vice President of Culinary.

Melco remains committed to fostering local talent and promoting “Whole Person Development” by providing colleagues diverse learning opportunities for vocational skills enhancement and career progression. In 2021, with strong support from DSAL and the UTM, Melco launched Culinary FAP, Macau’s first program of its kind for the culinary sector. Through the program, Melco aims to discover and nurture local culinary talent while reinforcing Macau’s position as a UNESCO designated “Creative City of Gastronomy”. Culinary FAP fosters culinary talent through structured on-the-job training, cross-functional exposure, and formal and informal education in collaboration with local government and universities. It offers participants exceptional opportunities for skill development through job rotations, hands-on experience, management training, mentorship and career planning.

Since Culinary FAP’s launch, the program has seen the successful graduation of 52 local talents, representing 90% of all participants, with over 60% of graduates receiving promotions in their new roles. At the event, the Company proudly celebrated the graduation of a further 10 colleagues from the program and welcomed the latest batch of 16 enrollees.

Mr. Lawrence Ho, Chairman & CEO of Melco, said, “We are excited to continue developing our one-of-a-kind Culinary FAP in collaboration with DSAL and UTM. This program reflects our commitment to supporting Macau government’s economic diversification goals by integrating it as part of Melco’s ‘Whole Person Development’ initiatives, with the aim of nurturing local culinary talent and providing enhanced and diverse career opportunities.

Graduates of Culinary FAP Class of 2024-2025

“Compliments to this year’s Culinary FAP graduates on your exceptional achievements, and a warm welcome to our new batch of enrollees. We gladly celebrate the wonderful talent and contributions of our colleagues also — for your dedication to culinary excellence and carrying out the best sustainable culinary practices.”

Sharing her experience of the program, Ms. Ice Au, Cook 3/Commis, said, “I started to participate in FAP in Culinary when I was part of the Table Games team. During this period, I became familiar with the operations of various kitchens at Melco and was guided by different Chefs. FAP was the beginning of my growth.

New enrollees of Culinary FAP Class of 2025-2026

“I went on to participate in competitions, developing initial inspiration and going on to repeatedly testing recipes in the kitchen. This period was full of challenges, but there was also great joy in discovery and personal development. I then had the opportunity to study and exchange at City of Dreams Mediterranean in Cyprus, where I encountered many local traditional desserts such as loukoumi, and various fruits soaked in sugar.  I got to understand more about different religious beliefs and taboos and different types of vegetarian practices. This made me more cautious in my work and think more from the customer’s perspective.”

Top 50 chefs were recognized for their exceptional performance

Melco continues to work closely with the SAR government on various efforts to support local talent development in non-gaming areas, offering residents diverse training opportunities within Melco’s integrated resort properties with a view to support enhanced career prospects. Such talent diversification initiatives enable the Company to nurture non-gaming and creative talent, further supporting the Macau government’s calls for economic diversification.

Sustainability Cooking Competition 2025 Winners

In celebration of International Chefs Day on October 20, Melco further took the opportunity to recognize the exceptional achievements of 50 chefs from the Company. The awards included 10 awardees each for the Best Apprentice Award, Culinary Innovator Award, Culinary Excellence Award, Unsung Hero Award and Green Gastronomy Award, celebrating their exceptional skills, efforts and contributions towards Melco’s culinary excellence throughout the years.

Additionally, to promote ethical and sustainable culinary practices among colleagues, the “Melco Sustainability Culinary Competition 2025” was held on October 14. The event saw 30 chefs compete in categories including Western Cuisine, Chinese Cuisine and Desserts, showcasing innovative dishes crafted with sustainable ingredients and cooking techniques.