pearl river
July 15th, 2010, 09:07 AM
We have to say thank you to "Portugal" for that. A country who really knows how to mismanage its people and colonies.
Fanny Vong, president of IFT: 'Local residents have to work harder'
Macau’s tourism industry is picking up after the financial tsunami and old issues have cropped up again. As Cotai projects restart and visitors increase, the human resources demand becomes a question again, as well as the quality of the service provided by the local hospitality industry.
‘As the economy, hotel and tourism industry pick up again there will be once more a huge demand for qualified professionals’In an interview with Macau Daily Times, president of the Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT), Fanny Vong, said that the workforce demand is not only an issue of quantity, but also quality. From one side, local workers need to work harder and get more skills and knowledge. From another, companies and operators have to give them a chance.
Vong says that an imported labour mechanism should be created, in order to attract qualified people to Macau, and also warns of future challenges that the industry will face in coming years.
Macau Daily Times (MDT) – You’ve been leading IFT for several years now, providing professionals to the local tourism industry. What are the main needs of the industry nowadays?
Fanny Vong (F.V.) – We need both quantity and quality. As the economy, hotel and tourism industry pick up again there will be once more a huge demand for qualified professionals. But we also know that there is also demand for people who can take up higher-level positions. We are hoping that our graduates, who are mostly Macau residents, will be able to obtain quality education here and then they will be given opportunities to take up management positions in the industry step by step.
MDT – People tend to say that to get qualified human resources to take up management positions is a challenge in Macau…Is that still a reality?
F.V. – Yes, it is. First of all, the industry has to try to give opportunities to people who have not much working experience, but who have obtained quite substantial education, namely in the specialised tourism of hospitality. From the human resources side, local residents have to work harder to earn this respect and to get more opportunities. They cannot wait for the opportunity to come. Local people have to realise they are competing not among themselves, but with a regional pool of talent. So people should grasp any opportunity for further education, whether they have to take time off to do that or to take part-time studies, maybe in the evening or on weekends. Continuous learning is very important to show their manager they are committed and motivated.
‘Without the imported labour quota, frontline workers will have to work harder and the hotels will be short in providing that kind of service they want to give to the customers’MDT – What are the main skills they need to become more competitive?
F.V. – We have to divide it in two parts: skills and knowledge. Regarding skills, people can get a certain standard of occupational skills. They can get a certificate that would be able to open doors for some entry positions. If we talk about knowledge, it is needed a package of mindset, attitude and knowing things about the tourism industry. And people can get this through education. So a combination of skills and knowledge should be essential if one wants to succeed in a career in any industry, not only in tourism. I’m not saying that Macau people don’t have this, but these hotels that are coming in are five stars and deluxe five stars hotels – they have higher standards. So, you move forward to upgrade yourself, or you will be left behind.
MDT – How do you foresee the industry development in coming years?
F. V. – We have seen a lot of changes in the tourism industry, mostly for the better. Because the software aspect has given Macau people a new perspective on management and on working in multi-cultural environments. This has enhanced local residents’ skills and knowledge sets to make them more competitive. This experience with international companies will benefit Macau residents in terms of competitiveness as Macau integrates more with the Pearl River Delta region.
MDT – You have already warned that the integration in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) will be a challenge. Why?
F.V. – A challenge has different senses and it could be a positive thing. With the integration, people can have more job opportunities in the region, so they have to ask themselves this question: How can I be more competitive in the region? On the other hand, it offers challenges in terms of infrastructures. For an economy to grow, accesses are very important. If the region doesn’t have easy accesses there’s no way for Macau to become a world-class destination. Our national Government has given us a very clear mission that is to become a world and leisure international tourism destination. Then the question becomes how can Macau devise strategies and plans to achieve this? If Macau can achieve it, that will bring a lot of side benefits to the PRD region, by complementing its strengths, growing stronger and becoming a more competitive place for visitors and residents.MDT – What impact can the regional competition have on Macau?
F.V. – In the short and medium term, I still see Macau in a very competitive position. Don’t forget that Macau is very strategically positioned in the PRD. The PRD is located in one of the current fastest growing countries. Of course, Singapore also has regional tourism, but when you compare the region’s growth you can see that the PRD has a lot of vitality.
MDT – In the past, you have stressed the importance of economic diversification. What do you think about the restrictions on the gaming industry recently launched by the Government?
F. V. – At this point in time it is a good way to help the economy to come to a balance. It doesn’t mean that if the gaming industry stops growing, other sectors will grow. But, I mean that if you now take a breath and gaming industry comes to a slower progress, investors will take time to look for other opportunities to explore, such as the MICE or Food and Beverage industries. It will be a good re-channeling of resources.
MDT – The quality of the tourism industry’s service in Macau is also an issue. Is the service provided to clients up to international standards?
F.V. – I don’t want to generalise. In order for people to qualify to provide good service, education and training are important. Hotels and tourism establishments should try their best to allow people to have time to do on-the-job training or off-the-job training. Not only IFT, but also other tertiary institutions should offer flexible learning modes for working people, to be easy for them to come back to school.
Frontline jobs not attractive
MDT – What impact could the cuts on imported labour have in the quality of the services?
F. V. – In the long run, these policies will make hotels consider local people first. In fact, it will save hotels a lot of costs and it will give more opportunities to local people. But in the short run, the manpower ratio will go down. Without the imported labour quota, frontline workers will have to work harder and the hotels will be short in providing that kind of service they want to give to the customers. So it’s difficult to balance with local interests. It is very important to have a mechanism that could serve the interests of both parties. With that mechanism in place maybe local residents would not perceive the foreign labour taking away their jobs, but complementing and transferring skills and knowledge to local residents.
MDT – What kind of mechanism are you suggesting?
F.V. – Something that is perceived to be fair. A system of imported labour that allows them to return home when they are no longer required. But it should be also fair to the foreign workforce. For example, they have given up opportunities at home to come here, so what kind of package should be given to them? That has to be well determined. Otherwise, nobody will come.
MDT – The most in-demand jobs in Macau in terms of volume are actually frontline staff in the hospitality and tourism sectors. Are local people interested in occupying these positions?
F.V. – There are certain people for whom these frontline jobs are not very attractive in terms of conditions and salary. Ten years ago if you get that kind of salary you would be very happy, because the inflation rate was not so high. But now, if you get that kind of money (around MOP 6,000) you won’t go very far, especially if you have a family to take care of.
MDT – Labour conditions for entry jobs should be improved?
F.V. – In a market economy, if the industry finds that is very difficult to attract people to these positions, they should let the market work it out and come up with some conditions or benefits in order to make the package more sweetened. It is really a decision or strategy of the employers to attract people to these kinds of positions.
Fanny Vong, president of IFT: 'Local residents have to work harder'
Macau’s tourism industry is picking up after the financial tsunami and old issues have cropped up again. As Cotai projects restart and visitors increase, the human resources demand becomes a question again, as well as the quality of the service provided by the local hospitality industry.
‘As the economy, hotel and tourism industry pick up again there will be once more a huge demand for qualified professionals’In an interview with Macau Daily Times, president of the Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT), Fanny Vong, said that the workforce demand is not only an issue of quantity, but also quality. From one side, local workers need to work harder and get more skills and knowledge. From another, companies and operators have to give them a chance.
Vong says that an imported labour mechanism should be created, in order to attract qualified people to Macau, and also warns of future challenges that the industry will face in coming years.
Macau Daily Times (MDT) – You’ve been leading IFT for several years now, providing professionals to the local tourism industry. What are the main needs of the industry nowadays?
Fanny Vong (F.V.) – We need both quantity and quality. As the economy, hotel and tourism industry pick up again there will be once more a huge demand for qualified professionals. But we also know that there is also demand for people who can take up higher-level positions. We are hoping that our graduates, who are mostly Macau residents, will be able to obtain quality education here and then they will be given opportunities to take up management positions in the industry step by step.
MDT – People tend to say that to get qualified human resources to take up management positions is a challenge in Macau…Is that still a reality?
F.V. – Yes, it is. First of all, the industry has to try to give opportunities to people who have not much working experience, but who have obtained quite substantial education, namely in the specialised tourism of hospitality. From the human resources side, local residents have to work harder to earn this respect and to get more opportunities. They cannot wait for the opportunity to come. Local people have to realise they are competing not among themselves, but with a regional pool of talent. So people should grasp any opportunity for further education, whether they have to take time off to do that or to take part-time studies, maybe in the evening or on weekends. Continuous learning is very important to show their manager they are committed and motivated.
‘Without the imported labour quota, frontline workers will have to work harder and the hotels will be short in providing that kind of service they want to give to the customers’MDT – What are the main skills they need to become more competitive?
F.V. – We have to divide it in two parts: skills and knowledge. Regarding skills, people can get a certain standard of occupational skills. They can get a certificate that would be able to open doors for some entry positions. If we talk about knowledge, it is needed a package of mindset, attitude and knowing things about the tourism industry. And people can get this through education. So a combination of skills and knowledge should be essential if one wants to succeed in a career in any industry, not only in tourism. I’m not saying that Macau people don’t have this, but these hotels that are coming in are five stars and deluxe five stars hotels – they have higher standards. So, you move forward to upgrade yourself, or you will be left behind.
MDT – How do you foresee the industry development in coming years?
F. V. – We have seen a lot of changes in the tourism industry, mostly for the better. Because the software aspect has given Macau people a new perspective on management and on working in multi-cultural environments. This has enhanced local residents’ skills and knowledge sets to make them more competitive. This experience with international companies will benefit Macau residents in terms of competitiveness as Macau integrates more with the Pearl River Delta region.
MDT – You have already warned that the integration in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) will be a challenge. Why?
F.V. – A challenge has different senses and it could be a positive thing. With the integration, people can have more job opportunities in the region, so they have to ask themselves this question: How can I be more competitive in the region? On the other hand, it offers challenges in terms of infrastructures. For an economy to grow, accesses are very important. If the region doesn’t have easy accesses there’s no way for Macau to become a world-class destination. Our national Government has given us a very clear mission that is to become a world and leisure international tourism destination. Then the question becomes how can Macau devise strategies and plans to achieve this? If Macau can achieve it, that will bring a lot of side benefits to the PRD region, by complementing its strengths, growing stronger and becoming a more competitive place for visitors and residents.MDT – What impact can the regional competition have on Macau?
F.V. – In the short and medium term, I still see Macau in a very competitive position. Don’t forget that Macau is very strategically positioned in the PRD. The PRD is located in one of the current fastest growing countries. Of course, Singapore also has regional tourism, but when you compare the region’s growth you can see that the PRD has a lot of vitality.
MDT – In the past, you have stressed the importance of economic diversification. What do you think about the restrictions on the gaming industry recently launched by the Government?
F. V. – At this point in time it is a good way to help the economy to come to a balance. It doesn’t mean that if the gaming industry stops growing, other sectors will grow. But, I mean that if you now take a breath and gaming industry comes to a slower progress, investors will take time to look for other opportunities to explore, such as the MICE or Food and Beverage industries. It will be a good re-channeling of resources.
MDT – The quality of the tourism industry’s service in Macau is also an issue. Is the service provided to clients up to international standards?
F.V. – I don’t want to generalise. In order for people to qualify to provide good service, education and training are important. Hotels and tourism establishments should try their best to allow people to have time to do on-the-job training or off-the-job training. Not only IFT, but also other tertiary institutions should offer flexible learning modes for working people, to be easy for them to come back to school.
Frontline jobs not attractive
MDT – What impact could the cuts on imported labour have in the quality of the services?
F. V. – In the long run, these policies will make hotels consider local people first. In fact, it will save hotels a lot of costs and it will give more opportunities to local people. But in the short run, the manpower ratio will go down. Without the imported labour quota, frontline workers will have to work harder and the hotels will be short in providing that kind of service they want to give to the customers. So it’s difficult to balance with local interests. It is very important to have a mechanism that could serve the interests of both parties. With that mechanism in place maybe local residents would not perceive the foreign labour taking away their jobs, but complementing and transferring skills and knowledge to local residents.
MDT – What kind of mechanism are you suggesting?
F.V. – Something that is perceived to be fair. A system of imported labour that allows them to return home when they are no longer required. But it should be also fair to the foreign workforce. For example, they have given up opportunities at home to come here, so what kind of package should be given to them? That has to be well determined. Otherwise, nobody will come.
MDT – The most in-demand jobs in Macau in terms of volume are actually frontline staff in the hospitality and tourism sectors. Are local people interested in occupying these positions?
F.V. – There are certain people for whom these frontline jobs are not very attractive in terms of conditions and salary. Ten years ago if you get that kind of salary you would be very happy, because the inflation rate was not so high. But now, if you get that kind of money (around MOP 6,000) you won’t go very far, especially if you have a family to take care of.
MDT – Labour conditions for entry jobs should be improved?
F.V. – In a market economy, if the industry finds that is very difficult to attract people to these positions, they should let the market work it out and come up with some conditions or benefits in order to make the package more sweetened. It is really a decision or strategy of the employers to attract people to these kinds of positions.