The Hospitality sector is unaffected by the crisis…

The hospitality sector, “a sector of excellence in the midst of a revolution”, for Dominique Giraudier – CEO Institut Paul Bocuse.

At this time of the orientation questions of the future graduates, the outlet is a real criterion of choice. And one sector is doing well: the hospitality sector. The number of employees jumped by 25% between 2005 and 2017 to exceed a million people today.

The number of jobs in the hospitality professions should continue to grow at a faster rate than that of all professions. The French Touch, in terms of the art of entertaining, excellence and gastronomy is a key element for employment in France and around the world. The Institut Paul Bocuse, the French leader in the sector, and all the schools, are the first-line ambassadors of this dynamism!

A sector of excellence in the midst of a revolution

Educating the leaders of tomorrow is being able to provide for the future today: a “universal” and connected world, a world that is responsible and committed to “living well” and in which the art of entertaining is a hallmark of excellence.

Although unrecognized, the hospitality professions are among the few sectors that do not suffer from unemployment. Holders of Bachelors’ and Masters’ degrees are considered to be the most successful in terms of expertise and management. At a time when tens of thousands of young people are worried about their orientation, hospitality management schools have a formidable challenge to meet.

In an era when knowledge has become collaborative and accessible, education must be based on qualities such as creativity, interactivity, altruism, courage and entrepreneurship. 3 or 5 years of study must provide much more than just knowledge. Education in the hospitality industry must alternate between theory and practice to develop high-level, real-world expertise, entrepreneurial spirit and leadership.

Educational excellence also means the ability to innovate in direct and constant connection with companies in the sector. A large school in the sector is a door that is continuously open to the job market. It must evaluate the needs of the sector to build education models adapted to its changing trends. Like all industries, the hospitality industry is undergoing profound change: educating the leaders of tomorrow means anticipating years ahead.

We must also be open to the world, develop English-language training and promote international student mobility to advance a global vision of the sector. At a time when the World Tourism Organization estimates the number of travelers at 2 billion by the year 2030, higher education must accompany the offers and services that will go along with new expectations.

The strength of higher education in the hospitality industry, beyond ensuring 100% employability in France and internationally, is indeed to transmit with passion the know-how and authentic skills of these professions to real citizens of the world; this is the mission we must all embrace. More than ever, the new generations are giving priority to their passions, which is why all hospitality professionals approach them to prove to them that passion rhymes with success and pleasure, because apart from being a sector that offers employment, this is a sector of passion!

Dominique Giraudier
CEO Institut Paul Bocuse