The hospitality industry prepares its reopening

Twelve of the most important hotel groups worldwide have participated this week in the Professional Development Days organized annually by the University College of Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts of Sant Pol de Mar (EUHT StPOL), Barcelona.

The Professional Development Days are a meeting between students and companies whose main objective is the job placement of new graduates in the areas of hospitality management, gastronomy, food and beverage or events.

During 2, 3 and 4 of February, thirty human resources representatives of twelve international hotel chains have interviewed around one hundred EUHT StPOL students’ who finish their studis this year; as well as alumni of this university specialized in hospitality management, gastronomy, food and beverage and events.

These are the so-called Professional Development Days (JDP), an EUHT StPOL event that this edition has been held in online format, due to the Covid-19 situation.

The tourism industry is one of the most affected by Covid-19 pandemic: many hotels and restaurants have closed or they have reduced their activity, and this has led to a restructuring of staff and employees. However, the situation is now different: hotels are rebuilding their staff and preparing for a progressive reopening, which is expected to be in the next months, before summer.

This has been stated by the representatives of the hotel chains that have participated in this edition of the JDP.  While for some of them this has been the first time at JDP, such as Six Senses Hotels Resorts and Spas (Thailand); other hotel companies have participated in the event on more than one occasion. In this edition, apart from Six Senses, eleven hotel chains have also joined the event: Marriott International (USA), Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group (Hong Kong), Kempinski (Switzerland), Jumeirah (Dubai), Iberostar Hotels & Resorts, Palladium Hotel Group, Paradores, H10 Hotels, Marugal Disctinctive Hotel Management, Barceló Hotels & Resorts, Catalonia Hotels & Resorts.

About 400 interviews in three days: the step before the professional insertion to the hospitality industry

In total, during the three days of the 2021 Professional Development Days, 12 hotel chains have carried out 387 interviews with 98 students of the Bachelor’s Degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management, Technical Degree in Gastronomy and Restaurant Service, Master in Hospitality Management and Master in Culinary Arts and Kitchen Management.

From these interviews will come the internship proposals in different areas and departments of the participating hotel chains, most of them accompanied by a career plan within the company. Year after year, it has been shown that JDP are an effective and efficient formula to facilitate the job placement of new graduates into hotel and restaurant companies.

In addition to the JDP, EUHT StPOL students and alumni have more options for their professional insertion. Thanks to the iths more than 50 years of history, EUHT StPOL has a wide network of contacts in the hospitality, gastronomy and food and beverage industry: from hotel chains to independent hotel and restaurants, many of them considered the best in their field at national and international level. In fact, many EUHT StPOL alumni are now directors or head of department in hotel companies around the world.

EUHT StPOL has been considered the last three years among the top 50 world universities of Hospitality and Leisure Management, leading the 2020 ranking in Spain (QS World University Rankings).