A popular stereotype in the hotel and tourism industry is that people who work in this sector do not require any formal education. The general perception of vocational roles such as chefs or waiters within the sector is that these roles have no long-term ability to grow into impactful careers that significantly contribute to tourism sectors.

The result is a very limited emergence of higher education institutions that invest in quality hotel and tourism education and, as a consequence, a growing H&T industry hampered by the lack of personnel with the quality and capacity to cater to this growth. This reality is even more pronounced in African countries that have only recently begun to develop their tourism industries.

In 2016, the New Times Rwanda published an article on the shortage of trained personnel in Rwanda’s hospitality and tourism industry, commenting on how this scarcity has resulted in local companies depending on international skilled personnel for jobs that could be occupied by locals.

Vatel Rwanda

Just 2 years after the publication of this article, Vatel Hotel, and Tourism Business School established a campus in Rwanda. The School’s mission is to help bridge the skills gap by providing the highest standards of education in H&T locally. The Vatel Group of schools comprises 50 campuses spread across Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Africa. With over 30 years of experience in developing professionals for the H&T industry, Vatel is ranked amongst the top 10 hospitality schools in the world.

Since its inception, Vatel Rwanda has trained 57 students for managerial positions through its Bachelor’s degree program in International Hotel Management and is changing the narrative within the local industry. Over the course of their degree program, they have acquired intensive hands-on work experience, preparing them to undertake executive-level roles immediately upon completion of their studies.

Vatel students are actively contributing to the H&T industry, not only as skilled employees but also as solution providers, with some students having chosen to become entrepreneurs and have launched their own ventures in the H&T industry.

Learning model

Vatel’s unique learning model consists of a progressive mixture of theoretical learning and professional experiences. Each year for the 3-year duration of the degree program, students are exposed to a mix of theory and practical applications, with an additional 4 months mandatory internship in hospitality establishments at the end of each school year.

As part of the curriculum, Vatel students acquire core operational, legal, financial marketing, and linguistic skills for their field. They also learn crucial managerial techniques and leadership skills. Their placements in renowned hospitality establishments for their practical applications enable the students to acquire on the job training and provides them with the opportunity to put into practice the theoretical knowledge they have received in class and to suggest new and innovative ways to improve the job processes that they encounter in the industry.

A testament to the importance that Vatel places on practical learning has been the establishment of Nyurah, a high-end restaurant where Vatel students are exposed to various roles ranging from Executive Chefs to Food and Beverage managers. Nyurah serves as a culinary center of excellence, where the students get to work alongside fine-dining experts who teach and mentor them to achieve their career goals.

Integrated into the Vatel learning model is the Marco Polo program where students are provided the opportunity to spend their second year at another Vatel campus in order to broaden their international exposure. The international nature of the program helps students develop a culture of tolerance and open-mindedness which are essential for those who wish to succeed in the service sector.

With this program, students can: