This summer our college is hosting a summer stagiaires programme (this is a two-week course in Switzerland followed by a paid internship of 3 ½ months in a hotel or restaurant in Switzerland) in collaboration with the Swiss Hospitality Academy . 34 talented students from all over Europe joined our students in theory and practical classes run by our professor Mr Eberle and the head of the programme Mr Wicki.
Today we asked Mr Wicki to share a little more about the programme journey in detail.
I am in the middle of our stagiaires-program summer 2023. Together with my team, I am preparing 34 young talents from Eastern Europe for their internship in Swiss hospitality and gastronomy. This is not always an easy but a very fulfilling job. On the one hand, there are challenges concerning the language.
Participants have to overcome their personally set limitations and realise, that they can provide much more than they assumed so far. These are important conditions to deliver a good performance later in the internship.
Actually, my students come from Eastern Europe, where the German Language was mandatory until recently. As the obligation has fallen a couple of years ago, there are not that many students speaking German any more. Unfortunately, Swiss authorities are not very flexible in issuing visas, so we had to become more flexible and find solutions. That’s why we rund now have one class in English.
Nevertheless, all students have to learn at least basic German, as nothing can convince guests more than a friendly “Grüezi” at the right moment (“Grüezi” is the typical Swiss welcome). Furthermore, we also try to develop our students in their personalities.
Consciously they are encouraged and challenged. and thus prepared for the working routing in a hotel or restaurant. In my understanding education for a long time is not just the provision of knowledge but the mediation of competencies and positive experiences.
Even for my whole team, the program is daily a big challenge, it makes me a lot of fun and joy. It is a fulfilling and meaningful activity if you are allowed to coach young talents to enter their career path. It is even more beautiful if you see them again one or two years later smiling and grateful in a hotel or restaurant. In most cases, they already have a first management position.
The actual 34 participants have been conveyed to a company already. Together with my motivated team, I am offering this program twice a year for the summer and winter seasons.
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