MASTERING EXCELLENCE

Elise Masurel, MD, École Ducasse, explores the importance of vocational training in the development of future professionals, with a focus on the culinary and pastry arts

A career in hospitality can take many shapes and forms. Indeed, the pathways grow each day as the hospitality industry diversifies, disrupts, and evolves to include sectors such as banking, automotive, and technology. However, whatever the type of business a hospitality professional finds themselves in after graduation, vocational training is the essential foundation that will enable them to bring the highest level of expertise and ability.

In those roles that form the pillars of our industry, culinary, service, and hosting, the need for vocational training is greatest. In these disciplines, an education delivered by industry experts and dedicated to the art, and academics, of a specific occupation, ensures future professionals are equipped with the precision, rigor, and confidence to keep standards at their highest level.

"...make no mistake, while a love for food and a creative flair are essential components, there are additional ingredients that make up the recipe for a professional chef..."

One of these key hospitality disciplines that is close to my heart is the culinary and pastry arts, and without a doubt, becoming a chef is a true calling. It is a calling to set the standard, to be true to traditions and celebrate them through precision, while at the same time being revolutionary, being inventive and at times breaking the rules.