IFT organises “Macao Occupational Skills Recognition System” (MORS) 2017 Gold Pin Competition Award Presentation Ceremony

All of the guests and MORS Gold Pin award winners took a group photo

The 2017 “Macao Occupational Skills Recognition System” (MORS) Gold Pin Competition Award Presentation Ceremony was held today at the Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT). Ms. Ng Wai Han, Deputy Director of Labour Affairs Bureau, Mr. Chong Cheok Ip, Acting Head of Licensing and Inspections Department of Macao Government Tourism Office, Mr. William Visser, General Manager of Grand Lisboa Hotel, Mr. Chan Chak Mo, President of the United Association of Food and Beverage Merchants of Macao and Mr. Lei Pou Loi, President of Macao Hotel Employees Association presented awards to the winners.

This year marks the 16^th year for IFT to organise this competition, attracting 333 participants from 38 organisations to take part in 10 sessions of competitions, including Assistant Cook (Western Kitchen), Bartender, Chinese Cook – Cantonese Cuisine (Intermediate level), Chinese Cook - Dim Sum (Intermediate Level), Concierge and Bell Attendant, Front Desk Agent/Customer Relations Officer, Security Officer for Tourism and Gaming Industry, Room Attendant, Waiter/Waitress (Chinese Restaurant Service) and Waiter/Waitress (Western Restaurant Service). The final round of the competitions was held on 28 November and 1 December at IFT and Grand Lisboa Hotel respectively.

During the ceremony, Dr. Fanny Vong, President of IFT said that IFT’s Tourism and Hotel School has been providing a wide range of professional training courses including MORS training and assessment. Macao’s local industry has been supporting their staff to participate in MORS training and assessment, which has become the standard to evaluate local workers, in order to ensure the service quality of local tourism, enhance the competitiveness of the city, and promote Macao as the tourism destination with high quality of service. She stressed that Macao was designated as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy last month, showing the international recognition given to the local food and beverage sector. IFT has been committed to professional training in food and beverage. Various types and levels of food and beverage courses have been offered to industry professionals for many years, allowing them to enhance their professional knowledge and skills, as well as to cope with the development of the industry. In 2016/17 academic year, 3,090 participants joined the food and beverage related training including MORS training, which set the service standards for local food and beverage professionals.

The competition adapted a process of elimination, with 3 rounds of contests for each competition. The first 2 rounds of contests were held in forms of written examination and skill evaluation according to the fundamental knowledge covered in the MORS training manuals. Participants without MORS certificates needed to go through the first round. In order to be admitted to the second round, the contestants must reach a minimum score of 75%, and compete with those who possess the certificate. Contestants with excellent performances in the second round from each competition are eligible to join the final and given the certificates.

Contestants aimed at the 2 winning positions in each competition. Juries formed by over 30 respectful executives from the industry observed closely and assessed the contestants for the final winners. Winners would receive a MORS Gold Pin, MOP8,000 cash award and a scholarship of MOP2,000 for Tourism and Hotel School’s training courses.

Launched in 2001, MORS is a joint effort of the Tourism Industry of Macao and IFT with the main objective to upgrade human resources in the industry through the introduction of a certification scheme for a number of professions. At this moment, skills standards are introduced for the following occupations:

• Assistant Cook (Western Kitchen)
• Bartender
• Chinese Cook – Cantonese Cuisine (Elementary)
• Chinese Cook – Cantonese Cuisine (Intermediate)
• Chinese Cook – Cantonese Dim Sum (Elementary)
• Chinese Cook – Cantonese Dim Sum (Intermediate)
• Concierge and Bell Attendant
• Customer Relations Officer
• Floral Designer
• Front Desk Agent
• Retail Sales Officer
• Room Attendant
• Security Officer for Tourism and Gaming Industry
• Travel Consultant
• Waiter / Waitress (Chinese Restaurant Service)
• Waiter / Waitress (Western Restaurant Service)
• Western Pastry and Bakery Chef

To reward and demonstrate outstanding MORS recognised professionals, IFT has been organising the Gold Pin Competition since 2002.

Gold Pin Competition final round contests examine contestants on their practical skills and details are as follows:

Assistant Cook (Western Kitchen)
Within 120 minutes, contestants will be given a “black box” of ingredients for preparing a main course. They have to present two identical dishes for the main course – one for judging and one for display. A pantry of other food items which may be used will be available to contestants for consideration to be used if required. The list of other food items will be provided to contestants one week prior to the competition. Each contestant may only bring maximum 2 ingredients (not garnishes) which must be shown to the jury prior to the start of competition. Contestants will be given 10 minutes upon receiving the “black box” to think about what dishes they will prepare. Contestants need to bring all necessary equipment and can set up 30 minutes prior to the competition start time. However, contestants are not allowed to enter the kitchen before 1400 on the competition date. The theme this year will be “beef”. A final recipe of the contestants chosen dish will also be required (pen and paper will be provided). The jury team will assess the contestants on creativity, technical skills, organisational skills, hygiene, degree of wastage, preparation, taste, dish presentation and consistency.

Bartender
Within a time frame, contestants had to set up a functional bar with the theme of one of the most valuable paintings in the world – the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci. Basic necessities are requested to be put on the bar table, but not only limited to those. Contestants are allowed to place more as per one’s wish. The purpose is to make your creative bar as functional and eye catching as possible, and then to create a cocktail corresponds to the theme of your functional bar. The jury team will assess the contestants on taste, presentation, technical skills, creativity, colour, showmanship, cocktail name and speed.

Chinese Cook – Cantonese Cuisine (Intermediate level)
Within 120 minutes, contestants will need to use their own ingredients to prepare a appetizer, 2 hot main dishes, a soup and one dish with designated dish for wedding tasting menu. Jury team assessed the contestants on taste, texture, presentation, color, production process, control of portion, food waste, professionalism, nutrition, hygiene, creativity, etc.

Chinese Cook – Dim Sum (Intermediate level)
Contestants brought in their own ingredients to prepare 3 types of dim sum. The time frame for preparation was 2 hours. Jury team assessed the contestants on technical skills, creativity, organisational skills, hygiene, taste, presentation and consistency.

Concierge and Bell Attendant
A total of 2 rounds of quizzes and an individual presentation are used to determine the potential highest scorers. For the presentation performance, we would like to hear how the contestants promote Macao with all these five elements which are delicious food, heritage sites, gaming and entertainment, leisure and shopping, and hotels. Judges will then base on various criteria, such as words being used, communication skill, presentation skill, in-depth of the topic, etc. to decide the best contestant.
Front Desk Agent/Customer Relations Officer
A total of 2 rounds of quizzes and a presentation are used to determine the potential highest scorers. For the presentation performance, each contestant is given 3 minutes to tell one of his or her favorite story in front of the jurors and audiences. Judges will then base on various criteria, such as words being used, communication skill, presentation skill, in-depth of the topic, etc. to decide the best contestant. The questions of the 2 rounds of quizzes are related to room forecast, revenue management, and Macau’s future tourism development plan.

Room Attendant
Contestants were tested about the techniques of bed making competition in a single elimination tournament. A Q&A quiz is held in Round one competition. In Round two, contestants are asked to make up an extra bed within 3 minutes. Judges will base on their skills and total efficiency to score the contestants. Defeated competitors are eliminated from the game and eventually the final 2 champions are the Gold Pin winners.

Security Officer for Tourism and Gaming Industry
There will be 3 rounds in the competition. The first round, contestants will compete with each other in the Q&A and Quiz Bee on Security Officer and Customer Service knowledge. The second and third rounds are task activity and First Aid competition. Judges will base on skills, accuracy, speed and standard procedure to score the contestants.

Waiter / Waitress (Chinese Restaurant Service)
Within 20 minutes of time, contestants have to complete two parts. In part one, the judges will pick up one famous Chinese cuisine based on 8 major world famous culinary cuisines in China and contestants have to answer the question particular on that cuisine. In part two, contestants should go through a food serving process in 15 minutes. For the first part, judges will base on varies criteria such as product knowledge; communication skills; presentation skills and listening skill etc. to score this part. For the second part, judges will base on the correctness of using proper tools, workflow, techniques, hygiene, speed, quality of work.

Waiter / Waitress (Western Restaurant Service)

The final contest title is: Theme Buffet Table Set-up. The competition will be divided into 3 parts. Part 1: Placing all the required standard utensils and equipment on the buffet table. Speed, hygiene and tidiness will be the key marking criterions of this part. Part 2: Placing all the theme items and decorative props/materials on the buffet table. Part 3: Introducing the buffet to the juries, i.e. theme, the food items content, and the uniqueness and special attractions of this theme buffet. Presentation skill, buffet menu content knowledge, time management and upselling skill will be the key marking criterion of this part.

Established in 1995, the Institute for Tourism Studies, Macao (IFT) offers the most extensive selection of tourism and hospitality related bachelor degree programmes in Macao, and about twenty thousand participants attend its vocational and professional training courses annually. IFT collaborates with 104 universities and tourism organisations around the world, and builds strong links with 500 leading tourism and hospitality corporations to offer internship opportunities to its students. Being the first institution accredited by the UNWTO.TedQual Certification System for tourism education, IFT has now 8 bachelor degree programmes with the Certification. Currently, the Institute has the most number of bachelor degree programmes certified under the System of any tertiary education establishment worldwide. In 2017, IFT became the world’s first higher education institution to pass International Quality Review(IQR) from the UK's Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA). IFT has been ranked by the “QS World University Rankings by Subject 2017” as the 2^nd best higher education institution in Asia in the field of hospitality and leisure management and the 18^th best higher education institution in this field in the world. In addition, IFT has received the Medal of Merit in Tourism from the Macao SAR Government, and won twice the Gold Award in ‘Education and Training’ from the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA).

MORS Gold Pin Competition 2017 – Gold Pin Winners