WHOLE PERSON DEVELOPMENT | Melco develops local talent through scholarships for colleagues

As part of Melco Resorts & Entertainment’s commitment to developing local talent, its Whole Person Development strategy supports colleagues with an array of training and talent nurturing opportunities. Learning initiatives include the Melco-funded Melco YOU-niversity Degree Program and those taught at the in-house Melco Learning Academy, such as the Back-to-School General Education Program and Foundation Acceleration Program.
In addition, Melco Scholarships were launched in 2010 to support employees and their immediate family members. Since then, 70 Melco Scholarships have been granted to support local talent development – providing opportunities for educational, professional and personal growth.
The Melco Scholarship program provides awards of financial assistance to support undergraduate education. Melco is the only company to offer full 4-year degree program scholarships to families, and currently offers a total of 6 scholarships each year. Applications are judged by representatives from local Macau universities and Macao Federation of Trade Unions (FAOM), and categories include being able to study at universities in Mainland China, Greater China and other International institutions.
With the belief that sustainable and effective development must include generalist experience, Melco Scholarship recipients are also be granted the opportunity to participate in the Company’s Special Internship Program, which provides an opportunity for recipients to obtain practical work exposure through well-rounded learning experiences. Each Scholarship recipient is offered a work placement of between 2 to 3 weeks within the area of their studies or interests, with the internship taking place at Melco’s Macau properties under the close guidance of a departmental mentor/manager.
The Company also aims to instill hope in colleagues facing immense challenges that would otherwise prevent them from achieving relevant qualifications and maximizing their full potential. To see them through such tough times, Melco provides the Hope Scholarships for relevant academic programs. Financial assistance is granted to employees or their family members who have experienced hardship or misfortune. For example, the unfortunate passing of a parent or employee may result in limited family income, meaning a child is unable to continue with their tertiary studies. Melco may consider this as a special Hope Scholarship opportunity and support with students’ tuition fees.
Krystal Cheang, Melco Scholarship recipient and daughter of City of Dreams Table Games’ Pit Supervisor Tracy Chan, studied for a Journalism degree at Sun Yat-sen University and took part in Melco’s Special Internship Program. Krystal said, “During my internship at Melco’s Internal Communications department, I had the opportunity to join and assist at many events, including its Years of Service Celebration for colleagues and the Best Mom Award press conference. I also got to help with internal career interviews, for example, and it was a pleasure to be able to visit each of Melco’s Macau properties. I learnt a lot from my team and other colleagues,” Krystal continued, “including the importance of teamwork and mutual understanding. This work experience has definitely increased my enthusiasm for working in related fields after this internship.”
Katerina Zeng, daughter of Rosita Li, Administrative Assistant at Melco’s Supply Chain department and who also received the Melco Scholarship, added, “The internship has been a great opportunity for me to learn more about my personal career goals and interests while developing the required knowledge and skills for success. It provides a different perspective and a context for academic learning, as well as an opportunity to put theory into practice. It helps me work on a whole range of employment skills, from the ability to adapt, to gaining a better understanding of workplace culture, time management and teamwork. It also offers me the opportunity to develop my professional network. I was able to observe how social media team professionals work together to gain a more comprehensive understanding of marketing. This was a truly invaluable experience for me as a student preparing to join the company.”
Fellow Melco Scholarship recipient, daughter of Wong Cheang, Table Games Dealer at Altira and student of Singapore Institute of Management’s Finance degree, Elaine Cheang, said, “It is a great honor to receive the scholarship and to have the opportunity to intern at Melco’s finance department for three weeks. I had the chance to intern with the accounts payable, non-gaming audit and casino control teams.” Elaine explained, “before interning at the Melco financial department, my knowledge of finance was limited to the textbook, and I was not so sure about the substantive work of a financial staff. This internship experience enabled me to gain a deeper understanding of the finance department. I believe this experience will be helpful for my future. Thank you to Melco for offering me this scholarship and great internship opportunity. It has been a truly helpful and unforgettable experience.”