LVS Officially Launches Sands Academy

On Friday, September 25, Las Vegas Sands officially opened the doors to Sands Academy, the new training and development program available to our Team Members in Las Vegas. I had a chance to sit down with Jordan McAnaney, director of corporate learning and development, to talk about Sands Academy:

• Tell us a little about the concept behind Sands Academy.

Sands Academy was designed to take the best training and development initiatives from across the company and integrate them into one platform. Centralizing this work allows us to put the necessary resources and support behind our offerings and make them available to the broader Team Member population. In addition, we wanted to enhance the platform by incorporating new, best practice offerings and leveraging relationships with key partners, such as UNLV. By centralizing and modernizing the training and development function, we are more equipped to meet the needs of the business.

• How does UNLV factor in to the development of Sands Academy?

The relationship with UNLV is integral to growing Sands Academy into a first rate Corporate University. UNLV’s PLuS (Professional and Leadership Studies) Center is creating a wide variety of courses specifically geared toward working professionals. Through UNLV, Sands Academy will offer both instructor-led and online courses, helping us to create a well-rounded, accessible curriculum for all Team Members. Additionally, we hope to expand the partnership further by incorporating degree programs and professional certifications in the future.

• What are your goals for Sands Academy?

The overarching goal for Sands Academy is to provide learning and development opportunities for Team Members at all levels of the organization. Sands Academy represents a true investment in our Team Members by equipping them with new skills and knowledge, preparing them for broader roles and leadership positions, and creating a pathway to fulfill their career aspirations. Ultimately, we want to create a culture that values learning, rewards high performance, and provides development opportunities for those that seek them. In doing so, we hope to attract, engage, and retain talented Team Members.

• You have already had a few classes, what has the reaction of team members been like so far?

Feedback from our new offerings, as well as the general reaction to Sands Academy, has been tremendous. Every course offered through UNLV has been at full capacity, and enrollment numbers for previously offered classes has jumped significantly. The response from Team Members is a testament to their commitment to continuous learning and their motivation to grow and develop within the company. It’s now our job to match that enthusiasm with first rate programs and initiatives.

• What does the future of Sands Academy look like?

Sands Academy will steadily expand its suite of offerings to include online training, diversity training, internal and external speaker events, and certifications for training completion. In addition, Sands Academy will support improvements to programs and processes such as New Hire Orientation, Performance Management, and Educational Assistance.  Our hope is also to partner with UNLV and other learning institutions to provide better access to degree programs and professional certifications for Team Members. We are thrilled to be a part of a new era in learning and development at LVS, and will rely upon active participation from Team Members and support from the business to achieve our goals.