The pandemic has had a major impact on Macao’s economy and various industries. In order to support small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Macao, the Centre for Continuing Education (CCE) of the University of Macau (UM) has launched a series of free training courses in business management and technology, which have been very well received. Over the years, the centre has provided a variety of professional training courses to support the sustainable development of Macao and to answer the growing demand for professionals in different fields.
According to CCE Director Matthew Liu Ting Chi, the centre offers a wide range of courses, including professional certificate/diploma courses in big data, crisis management and leadership, building inspection and structural testing equipment, applied psychology, child care, professional librarian techniques, construction safety, English education for young children, quantity surveying, and electrical engineering. The centre also offers on-the-job training and courses in liberal arts.
In addition, the CCE has offered tailor-made training courses and programmes to meet the needs of companies and the public sector, such as community language courses for the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau, professional training for primary and secondary school teachers, leadership courses, as well as courses in business management, smart transport systems and their management, as well as investment and cross-border trade in Portuguese-speaking countries. The centre has also created customised courses for various companies and associations in Macao, such as The Venetian Macao, MGM Macau, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, Suncity Group, and the Macao Association of Young Employers in the Gaming Industry, in order to help employees of these companies to develop practical knowledge and upgrade technical skills.
Last year, the CCE launched eight free training courses in business management and technology-related topics to help local SMEs counter the effects of the pandemic. The courses were all oversubscribed and admitted 320 students out of 1,300 applicants.
In addition, the CCE and the Labour Affairs Bureau jointly launched a subsidised vocational training programme, which includes a number of certificate courses, with the aim of enhancing the theoretical and practical skills of participants in business management and enhance their competitiveness in the workplace.
With the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the CCE has signed collaboration agreements with a number of mainland organisations to offer training courses and cross-border training tours. Last year, the CCE organised a training programme for students at the Changzhou Institute of Technology and a one-month ULive online training programme for students at Nanchang University. In January this year, the centre launched more than ten training programmes for universities in the mainland, with the aim of enhancing exchange and collaboration between UM and mainland universities and promoting a high-quality cross-border training model.
Source: Communications Office, University of Macau