Our Project

An important new language-training project for transnational placement trainees in the catering industry has been developed in 2006-2008, with funding of almost €400,000 from the EU Leonardo da Vinci programme (EU Education and Culture division).

A project team from seven countries - Belgium, England, France, Ireland Norway, Slovenia and Spain, have collaborated on devising and producing a web-based language-training package for EU trainee catering students.

The training materials are a direct response to the shortfall in the provision of language and cultural preparation for placement students. The training package has been based on the needs identified through surveys/questionnaires submitted by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and trainees in the catering industry, as well as promoters of transnational mobility projects and short-term placement trainees.

The two-year EuroCatering Language Training Project was formally launched in Galway (IE) on Thursday 9th November 2006. Its aim was to launch a Web designed course, which provides audio-communicative scenes with a variety of situations, which relate to the demands observed in service in the catering industry. The official presentation conference took place in Mons (Be) in October 2008.

The project intended to raise awareness and training through foreign languages, not only through English, French and Spanish but also through the lesser-used languages - Norwegian, Slovenian and Dutch.
The product has been developed/designed by language teachers and catering trainers in the seven selected higher education and vocational schools in the seven participating countries.

The web-based language training package is available to all vocational training organisations, hotel groups and SME's in the catering industry (for free).