Sands China Previews its Latest Workforce Development Program: the Sands Hospitality Academy

Earlier this year, Sands China began previewing curriculum for its new workforce development initiative in Macao, the Sands Hospitality Academy. Set to formally launch at the end of 2023, the Sands Hospitality Academy will be open to Sands China Team Members as well as local university students, faculty members, association members and industry professionals in the Greater Bay Area of China.

The Sands Hospitality Academy will provide a variety of educational and training opportunities, including property tours, career-sharing sessions, masterclasses and lectures by company senior executives and industry experts. The academy also will encompass established and new in-house training programs and internationally recognized accreditation and certification services for Sands China Team Members. In addition, it will support their participation in professional competitions to broaden hospitality knowledge and skills.

Sands China created the curriculum and structure of the Sands Hospitality Academy with three ambitious goals:

• Advance Team Members’ vocational knowledge and skills with training and support to acquire internationally recognized certifications
• Cultivate talents among youth looking to join the hospitality industry
• Set the highest international standards for the region’s hospitality industry by extending Sands’ vast hospitality experience in Macao to the entire Greater Bay Area of China

While the full launch will take place toward the end of 2023, the academy was introduced earlier this year with a workshop on international hospitality and protocols for more than 60 Team Members. Conducted by Daniel Fung, former director of the Protocol, Public Relations and External Affairs Office of the Macao S.A.R., the session aimed to develop skills for delivering the highest hospitality standards for overseas guests, in line with Sands China’s goal to attract foreign visitors to its integrated resorts.

Sands China also has debuted other academy curriculum that showcased the breadth of instruction and trainings that will be available. Programs offered in 2023 included a culinary demonstration workshop co-organized with Macau University of Science and Technology’s faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Management; seven tours of Sands China’s properties for approximately 270 high school and university students and faculty members; and workshops on topics such as cultural etiquette, Chinese tea art and international hospitality protocols.

Sands China will launch the Sands Hospitality Academy officially in November by co-hosting a symposium with Macau Polytechnic University to examine the role and impact of artificial intelligence in the hospitality industry. Leading industry experts and senior Sands China leaders will share insights and predictions during the symposium.

“The Sands Hospitality Academy represents Sands China’s deep commitment to helping our Team Members advance and driving the success of the hospitality industry as a whole in our region,” Amy Lee, vice president of human resources for Sands China, said. “The programs and initiatives we have conducted so far demonstrate the wide range of opportunities we will begin to roll out later this year.”

Sands China’s partners in developing the Sands Hospitality Academy include local universities, the Macao Government Tourism Office, the Labor Affairs Bureau, the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau, the Macau Federation of Trade Unions and the Macau Productivity and Technology Transfer Center.

The Sands Hospitality Academy is another facet of Sands’ commitment to investing $200 million in workforce development globally by 2025. As of 2022, Sands has invested $56 million toward its workforce development ambition.

To learn more about Sands’ workforce development programs, read the 2022 ESG Report: https://www.sands.com/2022-environmental-social-and-governance-report/