Sands China said in a statement yesterday that it welcomes its latest cohort of local SME suppliers to the Sands Procurement Academy on Wednesday.
According to the statement, this is the 10th group to enrol in Sands China’s complimentary local SME training programme to date. The statement noted that The Sands Procurement Academy is a partnership with the Macau Chamber of Commerce and Macau Productivity and Technology Centre (CPTTM) – Macau’s first-of-its-kind industry training centre, focused on delivering practical knowledge to local SMEs. The statement pointed out that the business knowledge and skills it shares with local SME suppliers helps promote the development of their businesses, specifically targeting four types of local suppliers – small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), micro-enterprises, young entrepreneurs, and “Made-in-Macau” enterprises.
The statement said that the academy’s graduates have shared feedback with Sands about the positive impact that their participation has had on their businesses. The statement also pointed out that the graduates receive a completion certificate and are given preferential procurement opportunities with Sands China under otherwise equal circumstances.
The statement noted that since the programme launched in 2017, more than 5,530 training hours have been delivered, adding that nearly 370 suppliers have enrolled to date, including this cohort, and over 280 have already graduated.
According to the statement, the Sands Procurement Academy supports the third pillar of the company’s F.I.T. programme, which offers Financial Support, Invitational Matching, and Training and Development. The statement said that F.I.T. targets both existing and new local Sands China suppliers as part of Sands China’s Local Small, Medium and Micro Suppliers Support Programme, stressing that it seeks to continually increase and strengthen procurement between Sands China and local SME suppliers by enhancing their capabilities.
The statement underlined that the academy’s participating local SME suppliers learn through tailor-made practical training modules, presented by lecturers with diverse areas of expertise. The programme’s modules comprise six topics – logistics management, quality assurance, procurement contract basics, procurement process and system overview, supplier code of conduct, and Macau labour law fundamentals.
This handout photo provided by Sands China yesterday shows a participant raising her hand during the first module of the Sands Procurement Academy on Wednesday.
