School D'Hospitality

HE handles playing cards like a seasoned casino professional.

But Mr Ryan Marc Pereira is no gambler.

The 26-year-old had attended the year-long Advanced Diploma in Casino Management course at School D'Hospitality (SD'H).

The handskills course is a new practical segment conducted by MrAngelito Manayon, who teaches relevant casino skills, like handling chips and dealing cards.

Mr Manayon, 37, has over 15 years of casino experience, including being a casino dealer, pit manager and trainer in leading casinos.

The combination of theory and practical knowledge was what attracted Mr Pereira.

He is now an events executive and will consider job openings at the Integrated Resorts when they become available.

Applying the tourism training received at SD'H, Mr Pereira now confidently bids for, co-ordinates and gives presentations for corporate events.

He also works with many international artistes and vendors.

After his O levels, he worked as a flight attendant for a year and studied interior design for another year before joining SD'H in late 2006.

He moved on to its Bachelor of Arts in Casino Management programme after graduating from the Advanced Diploma course.

He said: 'I thought that casino management as a profession had potential and so started searching for a suitable school.

'The facilities of SD'H and its team-building activities, like the Flying Fox, caught my eye, as well as the knowledge of the lecturers.

'I even took my father to see the school. I joined the advanced diploma course two to three months after that visit.'

Mr Pereira said he gained a wealth of business knowledge as well as pointers about the hospitality industry in general and the casino business in particular.

Draw on personal experiences

He said: 'I learnt a lot about human resource operations, accounting, marketing and sales as well as how to apply different business methods to varied cultures and markets.

'The lecturers don't just teach according to the book, they draw on their own personal experiences to explain concepts.'

Mr Yeh Choy Yan, the school's principal, said the course equips students with knowledge and skills which they can apply in their careers.

He said: 'The course allows students to gain not only academic qualifications, but also technical competencies and field experience in casino management.'

Mr Chia Tuck Keong, the school's managing director, said: 'The course syllabus is developed by industry professionals and stems from actual operational requirements of international casinos.'

Mr Yeh added: 'The school challenges its students to face different paradigms and learn about the different mindsets of customers.

'We teach them about having a service culture and share real-life experiences.

'What makes SD'H students stand out is their ability to articulate their views and follow a different paradigm.'

He said the school also has an in-house student service team to help find jobs for its graduates.

A croupier can earn about $2,500 per month while a shift manager, whose job is to guide new visitors around the casino and hire, train, evaluate and manage casino guest services staff, can earn about $13,000 monthly, reported Lianhe Wanbao. The salaries do not include tips and commissions.

The school will conduct free casino handskills workshops for The New Paper readers on 17 Jan, Sat 2pm.
To register, call 6879 3977 or 9021 4517.

This article was first published in The New Paper on January 12, 2009.