A total of 20 frontline staff in the hospitality and tourism industry has been heralded for expertise via the latest Macao Occupational Skills Recognition System (MORS) Gold Pin Competition. The award ceremony for the 2021 edition was on 7 December at The Londoner Macao integrated resort.
This year’s competition attracted 267 contestants working for 29 Macao employers. A total of 77 contestants was shortlisted for the finals. The contest had 10 occupational categories, including bartender, room attendant and front desk agent.
MORS is a long-standing IFTM initiative and is led by the Institute’s School of Continuing Education. It aims to improve hotel and tourism industry staff performance, by certifying staff skills in relation to frontline jobs. The programme was launched in 2001 and the MORS Gold Pin Competition began a year later.
Mr. Sean McCreery, Senior Vice President of Resort Operations at integrated resort operator Sands China Ltd, highlights the importance of the MORS Gold Pin Competition for human resource development in Macao. “It gives everybody in the industry a platform to showcase their skills,” says Mr. McCreery.
He says simply taking part in the MORS Gold Pin Competition is valuable, so that entrants can learn from other industry practitioners. “We must always continue to improve our skills,” he advises.
Mr. McCreery also points out that MORS – as a comprehensive system to set service standards for tourism and hospitality – “helps to make Macao more competitive against other destinations”.
MORS is widely recognised by the industry in Macao. For more than a decade, IFTM also has been promoting the adoption and recognition of MORS within the other constituent places of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. At present, workers with MORS certificates can receive corresponding certification from the Guangdong Provincial Department of Human Resources and Social Security, and Macao’s Labour Affairs Bureau, respectively.
During the Gold Pin Competition award ceremony, IFTM President Dr. Fanny Vong Chuk Kwan announced that, via cooperation between IFTM and the American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI), recipients of a MORS certificate will now be able to apply for the latter’s skills certificate in the relevant field.
A ‘win-win’ contest
Mr. Perry Yuen, Vice President of Food and Beverage at the City of Dreams Macau integrated resort, was a jury member for this year’s edition of the MORS Gold Pin Competition. He says entrants take the contest seriously and invest a lot of time in preparing for it. That, Mr. Yuen adds, helps raise their skill levels, regardless of their individual final ranking. “The annual competition has, in this way, been contributing to the training of many capable and qualified workers for the industry,” he says.
Other senior executives in tourism and hospitality operations have similar views. Ms. Christine Liu, Assistant Vice President of Housekeeping at integrated resort operator MGM China Holdings Ltd, says the MORS Gold Pin Competition is a “great platform” for staff working in a particular position to see how their peers operate in a different company. As a result, contestants are able to “communicate with, and learn from, each other”. She adds MGM China engages with the MORS scheme as part of its in-house training efforts. Ms. Liu says MORS helps new MGM China staff to understand more easily the service standards pursued by the company.
Mr. Lourence Ho, Director of Training and Development at Venetian Macau Ltd, a subsidiary of Sands China, states the MORS Gold Pin Competition also contributes to internal team building efforts. “Every colleague participating in the contest practised a lot,” and “coaches, colleagues, and the whole team were providing full support,” he says. “I feel this is helpful for all the team members involved” in terms of work and personal development, points out Mr. Ho.
Ms. Fung Chung Ying was a Gold Pin winner in the front desk agent category at this year’s event. “I am really excited to get this Gold Pin: it is proof of my career development,” says Ms. Fung, a staff member at the Venetian Macao integrated resort.
She explains she first took part in the MORS initiative in order to get her skills certified. After gaining a Bronze Pin, awarded to entry-level professionals, she was able to win promotion to supervisor from her employer. “Following completion of some additional courses, I obtained a MORS Silver Pin,” she recalls. “Now, I have a Gold Pin: this long process shows my professional development.”
Ms. Lu Jiaen, who works at the MGM Macau hotel, was one of this year’s awardees in the room attendant category. “I am proud to have this Gold Pin and to have upgraded my skills,” she says. “The MORS competition can help promote Macao’s tourism and let more people learn about the MORS system.”
Fellow MGM Macau staff member Mr. Navarro Alberto Miranda also got a Gold Pin in this year’s contest, for his skill display in the bartender category. “I had taken part in the competition many times before, and finally I achieved a Gold Pin this year,” he says. “This award is to remind me of never giving up, and just pushing to the limit.”
Mr. Miranda says he took home from the competition a lot more than just a MORS Gold Pin. His performance throughout the contest was a confidence booster for him regarding his skills, while opening his eyes to the need for continuous improvement. “The contest also lets us meet new people and open up to new ideas,” he adds.
Ng Choon Kiat, Galaxy Macau
Nguyen Thi Minh Phuong, MGM Cotai
Bartender
James Vincent Capuyan Dela Rosa, Wynn Macau
Navarro Alberto Miranda, MGM Macau
Chinese Chef (Cantonese Cuisine)
Bong Ming Han James, Galaxy Macau
Lei Wai Cheong, Starworld Hotel
Chinese Chef (Dim Sum)
Cai Xu, Grand Emperor Hotel
Zhang Xiuquan, Future Bright Group
Concierge and Bell Attendant
Li Peiling, Wynn Macau
Wong Ka Fai, MGM Cotai
Front Desk Agent / Customer Relations Officer
Fung Chung Ying, The Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel
Zhang Xin, Conrad Macao
Room Attendant
Lin Dongxue, Wynn Palace
Lu Jiaen, MGM Macau
Security Officer for Tourism and Gaming Industry
Kong Haiyan, Grand Emperor Hotel
Leong Ngai Seong, MGM Cotai
Waiter and Waitress (Chinese Restaurant Service)
Cai Zhongzhi, Hotel Morpheus
Liang Minyi, The Londoner Macao
Waiter and Waitress (Western Restaurant Service)
Guo Shasha, Grand Lisboa Hotel
Qiu Shasha, The Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel
