The hospitality trades are open to professional retraining. Techniques of hotel management, business event coordination… all these diplomas provide quick access to these professions.
Obviously, workers who have in their portfolio a college diploma (DEP) in tourism or hotel management have a head start. One of these DEPs is enough to be hired in a hotel for various management positions or in customer service.
By adding to your arsenal a Certificate of College Studies (AÉC) in Business Event Coordination (510 hours of training spaced over 2 years and followed part time at ITHQ), you will then be in a position to land a strategic role as concierge, assistant manager or manager, with experience.
Professional training
Without a college diploma, it is still possible to find your way in the world of hospitality or restaurants.
In terms of training, the shortest and most versatile route is then to complete a diploma in professional studies in restaurant service. This 9 month long training can be followed full time (35 hours per week) or part time, and only requires secondary three prerequisites (mathematics, French and English, or equivalent).
The benefit of this training is that it opens the doors to a whole range of positions affecting customer service of a hotel or restaurant, including:
- restaurant manager;
- butler or head waiter;
- bar attendant or server;
- wine service attendant;
- room service attendant.
Then, a DEP in restaurant service opens access, among other things, to a 450-hour professional certification in wine waiting.
In the kitchen
Perhaps you might be more interested in working behind the scenes, in the kitchen of a large hotel, for example? There is also a DEP in cuisine, to learn the basics of international cuisine (Italian, French, etc.). The training is a bit longer, 11 months full time, but has the same prerequisites as the DEP in restaurant service.
With this initial training, those more ambitious can dream of one day becoming a cook, caterer, sous-chef or even executive chef. To reach this ultimate goal, it is more beneficial to complete a subsequent 5-month course titled “market cuisine”.
With a bit of talent and a lot of perseverance, some great opportunities could be awaiting you!