IFTM and integrated resort operator MGM announce strategic tie to consolidate excellence in city’s gastronomy sector and ensure Macao’s competitiveness as tourism hub
IFTM is partnering with integrated resort operator MGM China Holdings Limited in a landmark initiative to bolster cultivation of talent in Macao. The two signed on 25 January a memorandum of understanding (MOU) marking a strategic alliance for the next three years. It will include the rollout of several youth talent development programmes, and has the support of the city’s Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ).
The linkup aims to advance Macao’s ‘Tourism + Gastronomy’ strategy and enhance the overall competitiveness of local tourism professionals.
The first initiative under the collaboration will be the “Creative Cities of Gastronomy – MGM Food and Beverage Professional Career Program Series”. It is tailored to develop high-calibre catering practitioners in Macao. The programme includes customised fast-track training sessions specifically designed for IFTM students majoring in Culinary Arts Management.
The scheme also includes on-the-job training, internships, and the prospect of employment at MGM’s two Macao properties, MGM Macau and MGM Cotai.
As additional support for IFTM’s educational work, MGM has donated to the Institute kitchen equipment valued at MOP1.5 million.
Institute President, Dr. Fanny Vong Chuk Kwan, commented: “This collaboration with MGM aims to provide more training opportunities for our Culinary Arts Management students, broadening their horizons, and thus nurturing more industry elites for MGM and various sectors of society.”
She added: “IFTM will encourage students to sign up for the programme, enabling them to keep tabs on industry trends and continuously improve their skills and competitiveness [in the employment market].”
Wendy Yu, Executive Vice President of Human Resources at MGM, said she was excited about the “long-term collaboration with IFTM”. She highlighted the partnership’s role in developing synergies between the academic and business sectors, in order to provide local culinary students with opportunities to improve their skills.
The collaboration has received enthusiastic support from students enrolled in IFTM’s Culinary Arts Management Bachelor’s Degree Programme. Jacob Wong Meng Hou, a Year 1 student, anticipates “more opportunities for visits and sharing sessions,” enhancing students’ understanding of the industry.
Year 2 student Queenie Chan Cheok Teng considers the linkup between IFTM and MGM “really beneficial” for undergraduates. “There will be more opportunities for professional training as well as internships,” she expects.
Undergraduates from other IFTM programmes are optimistic there will also be broader benefits from the partnership. Schuyler Chao Wan Keong, a Year 2 student on the Tourism Event Management programme, emphasises the need for all students to understand industry practices. “Regardless of whether it is food handling, kitchen knowledge or other topics, we need to know about how work is done,” he says.
A seminar on MGM’s food safety management system was held subsequent to the MOU signing, with Winston Yeung, Executive Director of Safety at MGM, sharing insights on the topic to augment students’ understanding of industry practices.
