On 16 of April in Lycée Hôtelier de Marseille, Aix-en-Provence (France) the first round table on RESPONSible Skills Alliance project has been carried out.
Main topics of the round table were: presentation of the project, presentation of survey results and French report, presentation and discussion of professional profiles of “manager of small hotel” and “manager of small restaurant”, problems faced by managers in implementation of programmes for lifelong learning.
Similarly to other European countries, the French economy faced a downturn in 2009 and has witnessed relatively stagnant growth in output and employment in the subsequent years. During this period the hospitality sector has continued to grow the number of jobs it creates, highlighting the crucial role the sector has to play in the French economic recovery.
The restaurant sub-sector is the largest in France’s hospitality sector, accounting for 53% of total hospitality sector turnover and 59% of employment.
Employment creation at a national level is slow and consumer confidence remains weak. Whilst overall consumer spending is expected to fall in the short term, the hospitality sector has previously demonstrated its ability to deliver growth and employment during tough economic times.
In France the sector of hotels and catering services employs one million people, 800.000 of whom are paid employees, that is to say more than four times the people in the automobile industry and more than one and a half time than that of agriculture and agri-food industries.
With a turnover of more than 50 billion euros, the catering services, under all their forms, represent 45% of the income of the French tourism sector.
The survey implemented in France shows a declared level of satisfactory or even very satisfactory training: a majority of professionals feel themselves trained and “aware” of the evolutions of their sector.
If they declare they have the relevant knowledge, techniques and skills in administration and daily management, it seems that they need to be guided and professionalized in the sharpest domains linked to the most current trends of consumption which importance they still neglect.
Besides, the degree of information, of motivation and of involvement is particularly raised.
However, they clearly notice their need to evolve with their company, their need to acquire the useful skills which would be essential to the continued existence on their trade. These needs are considered as constituting substantial value added.
Their request goes towards personalized counselling which contents would belong to the ground with adapted ones, methods and sometimes answering to the numerous constraints linked to the sector, training peons registered in their contents and rhythm, as well as in the reality of their workplace.
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.