Seven new occupations – a sector full of opportunity

The hotel and hospitality services industry is very established and has now updated its dual training occupations. The hotel, catering and kitchen occupations enter the new training year starting in August 2022 with six updated and one newly created training regulation. The goal is that differentiated occupational profiles and modern, attractive training content addressing topics such as sustainability, environmental protection and digitalisation will generate greater interest among young people for a career in the hotel and catering industry.

On behalf of the Federal Government, the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) has worked together with the relevant federal ministries as well as social partners and experts from company practice to revise the seven training regulations.

In future, restaurant specialists will be known as "restaurant and event catering specialists". The new professional title clearly indicates this will apply in future to events specialists within the sector.

Catering specialists, previously known as "specialists in the hospitality services industry", and professional caterers complete the group of catering occupations. Catering specialists remain the all-rounder in the hospitality services industry with a focus on sales and taking care of guests. In the future, professional caterers will organise all areas of a restaurant including control workflows and monitoring the quality of products and processes.

Specialists in the hotel business remain the generalists in accommodation establishments and continue to take care of guests from arrival to departure.

The training occupation of hotel clerk is changing its name to "hotel management administrator". In future the training will be even more focussed on the commercial side and therefore represents an alternative to the practically focused bachelor courses of study.

For cooks in future, training will address vegetarian and vegan cooking in greater detail as a response to trends in modified eating habits.

The two-year training occupation of "kitchen assistant" is being created. This is primarily aimed at young people with practical ability who in future will support cooks in the preparation of meals and dishes. For these young people, this opens up a qualified professional qualification with further progression options.

"The updating of dual training occupations in the hotel and catering industry comes at precisely the right time as the sector has been badly impacted by the shortage of skilled workers and the effects of the coronavirus pandemic," explains BIBB President Friedrich Hubert Esser.

"Attractive and modern vocational education and training in the hotel and hospitality services industry are essential if the sector is to develop successfully. This is because businesses in the hospitality sector cannot operate without well trained specialists. The new attractive occupations are setting a course for the future and offering young people new opportunities. Sound vocational education and training allows them to secure their future and take advantage of the many opportunities offered to them in the hospitality industry."

The new training regulations open up a range of opportunities for advancement and career options. Depending on the training occupation, further training can be taken, for example, as a certified hotel administrator, restaurant supervisor (master craftsperson), master chef, hospitality business administrator or state-certified business economist.

The seven new or updated training regulations and the framework curriculum aligned with these which has been developed by the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs for the school-based part of the dual training, enter into force on 1 August 2022.