Sands China Ltd. was honoured by the prestigious Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Gold Awards 2022 as winner of the Youth Empowerment Initiative category at PATA’s virtual awards ceremony Oct. 7. The award recognises Sands China’s City of Gourmet – Youth Development and Integration Program.
Launched in 1984, the PATA Gold Awards aims to recognise exceptional and innovative tourism initiatives in the Asia Pacific region and beyond and has become one of the most sought-after awards in the industry.
Wen Hongyan, senior vice president of human resources for Sands China Ltd., said: “As we facilitate the advancement of local youth’s food and beverage careers through this program, we hope to also support the sustainable development of the industry – while helping drive Macao’s economic growth in order to strengthen Macao’s positioning as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, World Centre of Tourism and Leisure, and Tourism Training Hub for the Greater Bay Area.
Sands China is dedicated to the development of local youth, in line with the Macao government’s policy of “building Macao with talent.” The City of Gourmet – Youth Development and Integration Program is part of the company’s broader youth empowerment initiative, the Youth Development and Integration Program. Among its innovative series of programs, more than 20 are designed to develop young talent in the food and beverage industry.
Tutors of Sands China’s various programs include industry experts like the “Godfather of Huaiyang Cuisine” Zhou Xiaoyan and Sichuan master chef Lan Minglu. The programs aim to equip young locals who are passionate about careers in food and beverage management with valuable skills for thriving in the industry.
One of those is the All-round Food & Beverage Management Program, where participants complete a practicum at Michelin-starred, Black Pearl or other restaurants and obtain international certifications and qualifications with Sands China’s full support. Upon completion, qualified young locals are promoted to restaurant assistant managers. 200 young locals have applied to date; 19 were qualified to join the program and seven of them have now become assistant managers at Sands China’s restaurants.
