RESPONS

Responsible Skills Alliance for Sustainable Management of Small Hotels and Restaurants

The new professional profile of Manager of small hotel or restaurant able to apply traditional and innovative knowledge to the tourist business management.

The RESPONS project, in line with the “Europe 2020” strategy, will improve the professional skills of the sector by reinforcing sustainability, responsibility and quality of the tourism offer. The industry of Tourism plays a key role in the EU competitive development. Tourism generates more than 5% of the EU GNP, with about 1,8 million enterprises employing around 5.2% of the total European labour force. Moreover, the Hotel, Restaurant and Catering (HORECA) sector employs a high percentage of under 35 and women. But there are some difficulties that could hamper the future growth of this economic field: low level of education of the employees, poor use of ICT, methods of teaching not suitable to prepare future managers to manage their responsibilities properly.

The aim of Responsible Skills Alliance is to develop the new professional profile of the manager/owner of small hotels or restaurants able to manage a profitable, sustainable and socially responsible business, while keeping its local identity. This professional will be able to face the main challenges of the sector:
1) the increased demand of the tourists to the quality, attractiveness and variety of the touristic services;
2) the important role of ICT in hotels in regards of search, planning and realization of the travels;
3) finding the right balance between the autonomous development of the destinations, the protection of their environment and the development of a competitive economic activity;
4) delivery of safe and high-quality service.

The work of CIAPE and the other 8 partners from Bulgaria, Poland, Spain, Romania, France and Germany is directed:
– To identify the needs related to skills and qualification requirements for the professions “hotel manager” and “restaurant manager”;
– To support the acquisition of sectorial skills in tourism and promote cooperation between education and the world of work;
– To increase cooperation and involvement of employers and social partners;
– To improve and upgrade the specific skills of HORECA managers based on learning outcomes and help transparency and comparability in the qualifications and the mobility of learners and workers;
– To facilitate the provision of work-based non-formal learning;
– To provide easily accessible and high-quality lifelong information.

Leonardo da Vinci Development of Innovation – Lifelong Learning Programme

More info: ciape@ciape.it