Macau, Thursday, October 17, 2024 – Melco Resorts & Entertainment hosted a special event on October 17 to celebrate the achievements of its “Culinary Foundation Acceleration Program (FAP)” graduates and welcome the program’s new participants, and recognize the Top 100 Chefs of the Company for their contributions towards Melco’s culinary excellence.
The “Culinary FAP Graduation and Intake Ceremony and Top 100 Chefs Recognition Event” was attended by guests of honor including Mr. Wong Chi Hong, Director of Labour Affairs Bureau; Mr. Lawrence Ho, Chairman & CEO of Melco; Dr. Fanny Vong Chuk Kwan, Rector of Macao University of Tourism; Ms. Astrid Cheung Wai, Head of Vocational Training Department of Labour Affairs Bureau; Dr. Connie Loi, Vice Rector of Macao University of Tourism; Ms. Queenie Wong Vai Ian, Head of Skills Training Division of Vocational Training Department of Labour Affairs Bureau; Ms. Marta Lam, Lecturer of Macao University of Tourism; Ms. Akiko Takahashi, Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff to Melco Chairman & CEO; Mr. Calvin Soh, Vice President of Culinary of Melco; Mr. Tim Kelly, Property President of City of Dreams Macau; Mr. Kevin Benning, Senior Vice President of Melco and Property General Manager of Studio City; and Dr. Raymond Lo, Senior Vice President of Melco, Head of Global Marketing and General Manager of Altira Macau and Mocha Clubs. This year’s “Culinary FAP” graduates prepared a special menu for the event’s attendees’ enjoyment, showcasing their talent and all-round culinary skills gained through the program.
In 2021, in partnership with Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL) and the Macao University of Tourism (UTM), Melco launched the “Culinary FAP”, Macau’s first program of its kind in the culinary sector. The program offers participants comprehensive culinary training and covers various aspects including diverse cuisines, food safety, cost control, kitchen design and customer behavior. Through the program, the Company aims to discover and nurture local culinary talent while reinforcing Macau’s position as a “Creative City of Gastronomy”.
Since its launch, Melco’s structured, 12-month “Culinary FAP” has seen the successful graduation of 42 local talents, with approximately 88% of participants completing the program, and over 55% of graduates receiving promotions in their new roles. This year, 11 colleagues successfully graduated from the program.
To coincide with International Chefs Day on October 20, the event also recognized the achievements of 100 chefs from the Company, taking the opportunity to honor them for their exceptional skills, efforts and contributions towards Melco’s culinary excellence throughout the years.
Mr. Lawrence Ho, Chairman & CEO of Melco, said, “Melco is dedicated to fostering local talent development and promoting ‘Whole Person Development’ by providing colleagues with diverse learning opportunities to enhance vocational skills and career progression. We are honored to continue the implementation of our one-of-a-kind ‘Culinary FAP’ with the support of DSAL and UTM. ‘Culinary FAP’ will further advance local culinary talent amongst our colleagues and the community and help improve career opportunities as part of our contribution to the diversified development of Macau and the Greater Bay Area.
"Congratulations to our program graduates on your achievements and hard work, as we also welcome our new batch of program enrollees. We are also thrilled to celebrate the wonderful talent and contributions of 100 of our chefs from the team. Your accomplishments and efforts are core to the Company’s globally recognized standards of culinary excellence, so thank you.”
In his speech, Mr. Wong Chi Hong, Director of DSAL, said, “I would like to thank Melco for its dedication towards to local employees over the years, continuously investing resources, providing personnel with diversified training to enhance their professional skills, and setting up a ladder for upward mobility for them. I also wish to thank Macao University of Tourism for their continued support and cooperation for the program. As neighboring regions continue to inject new elements into the tourism industry, Macau must keep up with the pace of tourism development to maintain its competitiveness and attractiveness as a ‘Creative City of Gastronomy’. The Bureau will continue to support the program by providing food safety knowledge, cooking skills certifications and more to enhance the professional capabilities and personal qualities of local chefs, to further their upward mobility opportunities, allowing them maximize their potential, and to play a greater role in the catering industry.”
Dr. Fanny Vong Chuk Kwan, Rector of Macao University of Tourism, said at the event, “Looking ahead, Macao University of Tourism will continue to collaborate closely with Melco to promote the diversified development of 'tourism + gastronomy,' ensuring that gastronomy not only a delight for the taste buds but also plays a pivotal role in the economy. We are confident that the collaboration between academia and industry can foster synergistic interaction, enabling both parties to leverage their strengths to jointly cultivate the talents essential for development of appropriate economic diversification in Macao.”
Source: Melco Resorts & Entertainment