Talent Developer is increasing its partnerships with training centers abroad © fauxels – Pexels
This autumn, Talent Developer is increasing its partnerships with international training centres. In France, the problem of internships and work placements remains. And for good reason: not all hotels have reopened yet and professionals are looking for young people who are already experienced. Here is an overview.
Talent Developer remained on the lookout during the summer. The result is that the new school year is off to a good start, as the contacts made with several international cooking schools and hospitality colleges have borne fruit. Partnership contracts are being signed with establishments in Argentina, Colombia, Spain and on the African continent, as well as with a training centre based in Australia, which welcomes students from all over Asia. “In France, we are continuing to canvass hospitality schools and colleges, as we are facing a growing demand for internships and work placements from young people,” say Estrella Maillet and Philippine Freiman, the duo at the head of Talent Developer. With the health crisis and the repeated periods of confinement, apprentices are finding it difficult to integrate into companies. Of course, professionals are recruiting. There is talk of 100,000 jobs to be filled in the hotel and gastronomy sector throughout France. Bosses and managers are short of waiters, cooks or housekeepers to operate at full capacity. But they are looking for “confirmed” profiles. This is not the case for young people who have not yet graduated and who have not always been able to put their knowledge and know-how into practice in 2020 and 2021.
The young BTS students from the Lycée Guillaume Tirel were assessed by Estrella Maillet before they entered the job market ©TD
Estrella Maillet preparing and training for an interview with a student ©TD
Limiting employee turnover
“By putting a student in touch with a company whose profile meets its expectations, and vice versa, we enable both parties to work together. The long-term objective is to limit turnover in hotels and restaurants, which is both costly for the employer and disruptive for the teams,” explains Philippine Freiman. Estrella Maillet also talks about adaptability and versatility, “two qualities that are very much in demand among students today”. Except that these young people have very little practical experience in the field, in the middle of a health crisis. This is normal: their internships or work-study periods have often been remote, or even cancelled.
Putting a student in touch with a company whose profile meets its expectations is one of the main objectives of Talent Developer ©Christin Hume – Unsplash
Adjusting the flexibility of students to the expectations of professionals
Companies must change the way they recruit,” says Philippine Freiman. They have to adapt to the reality of the moment and train beginners on the job, if necessary. The situation is changing. In some establishments, you can already hear chefs saying they are ready to hire novices to peel vegetables or gut fish. In such a context, it is now high time to adjust the flexibility of hospitality school students to the expectations of professionals and to match the needs of the “pros” to the motivation of the young people.
Article written by Anne Eveillard for Talent Developer