Learning to cook professionally involves much more than mastering recipes. Today’s hospitality sector also requires communication, teamwork, creativity, cultural awareness and the confidence to adapt.

The GACE Project brings these areas together through vocational education, connecting Europe’s gastronomic heritage with employability and entrepreneurship.

Preparing VET Learners for Hospitality Careers

GACE focuses particularly on students studying cookery, gastronomy, catering, hospitality, bakery and pastry-making.

The project aims to help learners see cultural knowledge as part of their professional development rather than something separate from technical training.

Gastronomy and Employability

Understanding different food cultures can have practical value in restaurants, hospitality businesses, culinary tourism, events and food entrepreneurship.

GACE’s planned training programme will combine gastronomic heritage with professional-development skills. Learners will explore how communication, teamwork, creativity, sustainability and digital competence can contribute to their employment prospects.

Encouraging Entrepreneurship

Hospitality careers do not always follow one route.

Knowledge of local food and cultural heritage can also inspire new products, services and experiences. These might relate to culinary tourism, local gastronomy, cultural events or other hospitality initiatives.

GACE will encourage learners to identify these opportunities and develop a stronger understanding of gastronomy entrepreneurship.

Practical Resources for VET Education

The project will develop both an educational guide and a dedicated employability and entrepreneurship training programme.

Before publication, these resources will go through development, expert review, editing, translation, evaluation and quality control. They are intended to become reusable materials for hospitality and gastronomy VET centres across Europe.

Learning With the Industry

GACE also involves hospitality professionals, employers, employment counsellors and gastronomic experts.

Four pilot programmes are expected to involve at least 260 participants, including approximately 200 VET students, 30 teachers and trainers, and 30 hospitality and gastronomy professionals. Their feedback will help improve the resources before final publication.

Building Skills for the Future

By combining vocational learning with culture, digital competence, sustainability and entrepreneurship, GACE aims to help learners approach the hospitality sector with a broader set of skills.

Explore GACE resources and discover a different approach to gastronomy and hospitality education.