Culinary and foodservice bring benefit for local and national economies across Europe. They
generate profit through tourism, boost other economic sectors and have strong employment-
creation potential in a wide range of ‘first’ to high-skill jobs, including for youth. They are well suited
for labour mobility due to the increasing importance of tourism (incl. cross- and trans-border) and
commuting. Most popular culinary professions - cooks and chefs - are highly dependent on WBL and
international experience for the quality of content and skill-building. Yet obstacles remain: VET is
predominantly confined to secondary education; the national education systems and SERs result in
different qualifications and standards in the different member states; difficulties in validating the
learning outcomes acquired abroad and low number of trainees engaged in mobilites.
Accordingly, CULINART project aims to enhance the quality and relevance of VET offer in culinary arts
following labour market needs and with view of increasing youth employability, trans-national mobility
and career advancement. This is achieved through
- designing a joint VET qualification in culinary arts for associate professionals (EQF level 4,
ESCO 34),
- elaboration of pathways to further studies at tertiary level,
- establishment of a strategic international alliance of VET providers and business entities for
piloting, delivery of the new qualification and transition to employment,
- fostering qualification’s accreditation within the NQFs of the countries represented in the
project,
- stakeholder mobilisation in favour of adapting the VET for the culinary professions to the
enhanced economic and social role of the foodservice sector.
Within the qualification, emphasis is put on both hard and soft skills along with knowledge on
sustainability, innovations in gastronomy, artisan food, preservation of European culinary traditions
as heritage.
CULINART target groups are VET providers, enterprises, sectoral and umbrella organisations in food,
foodservice and tourism, VET learners – current and prospective, including youth, education and
qualification regulation authorities in the partner countries as well as on a broader EU level.
They will benefit from the project in view of:
- improved relevance and attractiveness of VET education
- improved opportunities for recognition of skills gained on the job and for trans-national mobility
for work and study
- established partnerships and gained expertise for better targeting and marketing of culinary
arts programmes
- showcasing transparency and comparability of culinary-arts VET across the EU
- enhanced employment and career progression perspectives in the culinary professions.
VET providers, sectoral and business organisations as well as education regulators from Bulgaria,
Spain, France, Italy, Portugal and Turkey cooperate in CULINART. The extent and composition of
the partnership provides for synergy between various types of institutions.