Talent Training: The Key to Macao’s Future Development and Sustainability

“Wynn Management Skills Program” graduation ceremony

Business experts would undoubtedly agree that employee training is an indispensable tool for boosting both individual and organizational performance and lowering employee turnover, but also for maximizing job satisfaction and cultivating a company culture replete with enthusiasm and motivation.

Moreover, in addition to training existing employees, nurturing young adults who are entering the workforce for the first time can help equip them with the necessary skills and experience that an industry requires, and gives them a reliable framework upon which they can start to build their career. This provides society with the skilled labor it needs to sustain itself and gives the youth a sense of purpose that can ultimately serve as a catalyst for business innovation and sustainable growth.

Prof. Im Sio Kei

Ms. Linda Chen

The hospitality industry is one of the cornerstones of the government’s “1+4” appropriate diversification development strategy as it was fundamental to Macao’s designation as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, it is the driving force behind our aim to become a “City of Sports” and is the key player in the successful implementation of the nascent “Big Health Tourism” that is being given so much focus as of late. Furthermore, a 2019 report authored by consultancy firm Deloitte on behalf of the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) forecast the annual number of visitors to the city in 2025 will reach up to 41 million—a figure that surpasses that seen before the pandemic. However, the report also highlighted an inadequate level of human resource talent development at that time in Macao, which is why employee and youth training schemes have become so vitally important in recent years.

Wynn Macau has seized this unique opportunity to focus on team building and youth training to prepare a loyal, engaged, and productive team of hospitality specialists that the entire Greater Bay Area can be proud of. By launching the “Wynn Management Skills Program” in collaboration with Macao Polytechnic University (MPU), management staff can now enroll on a two-year professional training program that specializes in a range of different fields to cultivate interdisciplinary strategic thinking that will solidify Macao’s position as a global tourist destination. As a testimony to the success of these efforts, 45 trainees were recently awarded professionally accredited certificates at a graduation ceremony held at the MPU. In a speech given at the event, President and Vice Chairman of the Board of Wynn Macau Limited Ms. Linda Chen commented on the importance of these courses that “allow the trainees to gain a sharper business insight and broad visions of the market, which can deepen their understanding of innovative technology and the ever-changing business environment and are very important for their career development.”

The two-year program covers important topics ranging from regional and national industrial development, trends of digital finance, and current application of high technology in tourism and entertainment scenarios to integrated resort management models featuring interdisciplinary collaboration. Rector of Macao Polytechnic University, Prof. Im Sio Kei, praised the long-term cooperation the institute has with Wynn Macau and highlighted its wider import to “foster a sustainable pool of high-quality integrated tourism and leisure professionals for Macao.”

20 youths participated in the hospitality management certified program

Wynn x EHL Hospitality Management Certified Program

For the hospitality industry to progress and comprehensively elevate its quality and services, training must be provided to every level of the workforce, ranging from top management to entry-level workers. Every employee has potential, and Wynn Macau is fully committed to investing in that potential and transforming it into a tangible reality. This is one of the many reasons they have now partnered with a global leader in education and innovation for the hospitality sector—the EHL Hospitality Business School based in Switzerland—who offer a wide array of hospitality management degrees for people with varying backgrounds and career aspirations. Together, they have rolled out “Wynn x EHL Hospitality Management Certified Program” which is specifically designed to nurture the talent of local youth to maximize their engagement and contribution to the hospitality industry.

The program attracted 20 young professionals who embarked on a transformative educational experience throughout October and November. Upon completion, the students had all received valuable vocational training and had expanded their understanding of the complexities of hotel operations and the practical skills required in the hospitality industry. The training was delivered in three separate modules: “Personal Effectiveness and How to be a Future Leader in Hospitality” which focused on increasing self-awareness and adaptability and developing the important skills of effective communication and influential leadership; “Hospitality Luxury Brand Management” which equipped the trainees with hands-on practical knowledge of the intricacies of luxury brands, and the strategic choices implicit in luxury branding and communication in various industries; and “Data Analytics for Hospitality” which taught the important skills of collecting, transforming, analyzing, and interpreting data related to both the rooms division and food and beverage division, and the techniques required to communicate their findings with stakeholders.

Vice President of Learning and Advancement at Wynn Macau and Wynn Palace, Dr. Barry Ip, highlighted how the valuable experience that EHL brings from its international hospitality operations is highly beneficial to the development of youth in Macao, and high-level training such as this would contributes significantly towards solidifying Macao’s position as a World Center of Tourism and Leisure.

Talent development is the key to unlocking Macao’s moderate economic and industrial diversification and Wynn has shown consistent dedication to providing diverse training programs for its team members in the hope of fostering more outstanding local talent and creating more upward mobility opportunities, not just for the individual in the workplace, but also for Macao on the world stage.