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Sands and Marina Bay Sands awarded the first 49 student recipients from six Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) in the $1 million Sands Hospitality Scholarship Program on Nov. 9. Announced in August 2022, the program aims to nurture hospitality talent and create a healthy pipeline for Singapore’s workforce.
Recipients at the November ceremony represented Nanyang Polytechnic, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Republic Polytechnic, Singapore Institute of Technology, Singapore Polytechnic and Temasek Polytechnic. The Sands Hospitality Scholarship Program ultimately will benefit more than 100 Singaporean students who are pursuing hospitality or tourism-related courses of study, aiming to nurture hospitality talent, and encourage the country’s brightest students to consider a career in the hospitality industry.
“We are delighted to welcome our pioneer batch of Sands Hospitality Scholarship recipients,” Paul Town, chief operating officer at Marina Bay Sands, said at the ceremony. “The scholarship is a cornerstone of our commitment to Singapore’s vibrant hospitality sector, reflecting our aspiration to set new standards in the world of hospitality. Through engagement events with our scholars, we hope to deepen their passion for the hospitality industry and better prepare them for their future careers.”
As part of the ceremony, students learned about hospitality careers through a fireside chat with Marina Bay Sands’ management representatives including Town; Christine Sheares, vice president of food and beverage; Genevieve Lim, executive director of MICE management; and Shawn Ng, executive director, hotel operations. Students also engaged in an “Ask Us Anything” session in which they were able to interact with representatives from various Marina Bay Sands departments, including hotel operations, food and beverage, MICE and human resources.
“The fireside chat was an incredibly insightful session, providing us with industry and personal perspectives on career advancement from seasoned professionals,” Jolene Loke, a scholarship recipient from the Singapore Institute of Technology, said. “Hearing from veterans in the industry about their passion is a great motivation and encouragement for those of us pursuing a degree in hospitality. It inspires me to work toward making Singapore an even more attractive destination for travelers.”
Beyond these interactions, students enjoyed an exclusive tour of the property’s hotel and attractions, including viewing a newly completed hotel suite, which is part of an ongoing $1 billion reinvestment project. They also visited the iconic SkyPark Observation Deck. Marina Bay Sands designed the tour to give students a glimpse of a luxury hospitality destination.
The Sands Hospitality Scholarship Program is part of the company’s ambition to invest $200 million in workforce development during its 2021-2025 reporting cycle. Last year, Sands contributed $56 million to workforce development initiatives for a cumulative total of $113 million in 2021-2022.
The company will update on its workforce development investment progress in its next environmental, social and governance report scheduled for release in the spring of 2024. In the meantime, read about Sands’ other workforce development programs and efforts to nurture hospitality talent in the 2022 ESG Report here: https://www.sands.com/2022-environmental-social-and-governance-report/
