- The company has facilitated more than 34,000 internal promotions and transfers, with internal candidates filling 22% of openings in 2025.
- More than 200 UTM staff and students joined “Meet the Melco CEO – Mr Lawrence Ho.”
Melco is dedicated to nurturing local talent in Macau and upholds its philosophy of “Whole Person Development” by offering diverse learning and career advancement opportunities for colleagues.
Through a wide range of initiatives—including Internal career opportunities, scholarships, the Back-to-School program, as well as collaborations with local and overseas universities—Melco supports employees in achieving personal growth and elevating their professional careers.
To extend its talent development initiatives to the broader local community, Melco also recently co-organized a dedicated exchange event with the Macao University of Tourism (UTM) under the theme “Meet the Melco CEO – Mr Lawrence Ho,” engaging with more than 200 faculty members and students on topics including cultural and tourism industry trends, talent development and youth career planning.
Whole Person Development
Melco’s Whole Person Development philosophy creates an environment where colleagues feel empowered to bring their whole selves to work and actively develop new skills.
This concept is vital to individual and business success, and Melco’s expanding range of resources supports personal and professional growth across current roles and future career pathways.
Melco supports colleagues in achieving personal growth and advancing their careers to new heights.
Internal Career Opportunities – long-term employment and career progression
Investing in colleague development strengthens both individual performance and business outcomes. By favoring internal talent when skills align, more than 34,000 internal promotions and transfers have been facilitated since the company’s founding, with internal candidates filling 22% of openings in 2025.
Scholarships
Since 2010, Melco has supported colleagues and their immediate families through financial assistance for undergraduate education, alongside Hope Scholarships that are also available to those facing hardship.
Since the program’s launch, more than US$500,000 has been awarded in scholarship grants to colleagues and family members.
In 2025, scholarships were extended to Digital Media students at Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST) for 2026, supporting the development of a future talent pipeline and long-term career opportunities at Melco.
Back-to-School program
Launched in 2010, the Back-to-School program partners with Macau’s Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ) and local high school teachers to support colleagues in completing their high school diploma while working. Currently, 46 colleagues are enrolled in the program. In 2025, 35 colleagues completed Senior High School.
The program champions continued investment in colleague development while contributing to local community advancement. In 2025, 22 participants received government awards for academic excellence, including the Lotus Award for overall academic achievement, and the Henry Fok Foundation Scholarship for top academic performance.
Diverse learning and career advancement opportunities are made available through various programs.
Melco YOU-niversity
Melco has also partnered with Edinburgh Napier University (ENU), supporting colleagues in earning a Bachelor’s Degree in International Business over two years while remaining employed. Through the collaboration between ENU faculty and local tutors from Macau universities, participants in the program benefit from both international and local perspectives.
The current cohort includes 15 Melco colleagues and, since 2015, 29 colleagues have graduated from the program, with 11 progressing through promotions or internal career moves.
In October 2025, as part of its YOU-niversity offer, Melco also launched an in-house Bachelor of Business Administration in Management program in collaboration with the Macau Institute of Management (MIM). Thirty-two colleagues joined the program, with Melco sponsoring 50% of the tuition fees for the top 15 students upon graduation.
Diploma in Hospitality Management
Melco has also partenered with UTM for the Diploma in Hospitality Management program, developed with the American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI). The program delivers 11 courses on key industry topics, including service leadership, F&B and front office operations, digital marketing, management skills, sustainable hospitality, digital transformation and local cultural literacy. Participants also receive two international certificates from AHLEI upon completion. Thirty-one participants of the program are expected to graduate in July 2026.
Talent development
To support young local talent development, since 2020, Melco has partnered with the Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL) to offer Macau graduates three-month-long Graduate Trainee Program placements that provide cross-departmental exposure to the group’s hospitality standards. Participant feedback consistently highlights the program’s value in building practical skills, supported by coaching and mentorship from business managers to advance career development.
Foundation Acceleration Program (Culinary)
Since 2021, Melco has collaborated with the DSAL and the UTM to launch Macau’s pioneering “Foundation Acceleration Program (Culinary).”
The initiative is designed to systematically identify and nurture local culinary talent, offering professional training and practical opportunities that enhance participants’ skills and career prospects. At the same time, the program reinforces Macau’s prestigious recognition as a UNESCO “Creative City of Gastronomy,” further advancing the city’s sustainable growth and global influence in the culinary and cultural landscape.
Meet the Melco CEO
Melco remains committed to promoting talent development and industry-academia integration, actively fostering university-enterprise exchange platforms to help nurture professionals with global perspectives for Macau’s cultural and tourism industry.
In support of this, Melco recently co-organized a dedicated exchange event with the UTM under the theme “Meet the Melco CEO – Mr. Lawrence Ho”, engaging with more than 200 faculty members and students on topics including cultural and tourism industry trends, talent development and youth career planning.
The event kicked off with an insightful presentation by Akiko Takahashi, Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff to the Chairman and CEO of Melco. The executive provided an overview of Melco’s development journey, business portfolio and core brand strengths, enabling participants to gain in-depth insights into Melco’s corporate culture, development vision and operational framework.
In the subsequent industry-academia dialogue, Lawrence Ho – Chairman and CEO of Melco and UTM Rector Fanny Vong engaged in in-depth exchanges covering cultural and tourism industry trends and high-calibre talent cultivation, sharing valuable industry experience and forward-looking development insights.
The student interaction session was vibrant and engaging, with students raising proactive questions regarding academic planning, career development and industry prospects. Melco’s Chairman shared his personal development and corporate management experience, offering thoughtful advice and invaluable career guidance to help participating students clarify their development directions.
Industry engagement sessions, recruitment booths and on-site interviews were also arranged to facilitate talent matching between students and the industry.
Looking ahead, Melco will continue to deepen industry-academia collaboration and work closely with the academic sector to nurture more cultural and tourism talents, jointly driving the high-quality and sustainable development of Macau’s cultural and tourism industry.
