Your abroad experience will be arranged by VUM Career Center and its partners. The experience abroad is an obligatory requirement to meet in order to continue your education the next semester and graduate.
An experience abroad will be a learning experience for VUM students whereby they are given the chance to take on a responsible role as employees in a company or organization and then reflect on what happened while in the workplace. It aims to significantly enhance the vitality of the instructional program and impact the courses that a student has taken or will take.
Work experience with Erasmus+ Program (up to 12 months for the full period of study) will take place at a Michelin rated restaurants in Europe, where students will have the chance to put into practice their technical knowledge and skills, learn how to work in a team with high profile culinary professionals and improve their precision, expectation-outcome consistency, time-management, stress-resistance. The VUM students will be given the opportunity to go on an experience abroad at a Michelin starred restaurants or restaurants without a star depending on their performance. The placements will be designed to fit students’ professional development profile and to expose them to a different type of HoReCa business, quite different from the one at small Michelin rated restaurants.
Positions suitable for our students:
Work experience with Erasmus+ Program: Commis Chef 1 or 2;
Work, travel and study: Chef de Tournant, Commis Demi Chef; for the best performing students – Chef de Partie.
Duration of the experience abroad:
12 months for the full period of study
Step by step: Who does what?
Sending to VUM Career Center a company`s short presentation, vacancy information and profile requirements (not mandatory);
Signing a “Cooperation Agreement” stipulating the terms and conditions of cooperation between VUM and the employing Company (not mandatory);
VUM Career Center will select the most suitable students according to the requirements. Shortlisted CVs, video presentations and Evaluation Forms filled by the main Chef Instructor will be submitted to the Employer for consideration and selection of preferred candidates;
Conducting interviews with selected students – The interview could be in person, via a video conference system or the Internet /Skype/. It is recommended that the interview be conducted by the employer but it could be done by the Head of VUM Career Center if that has been agreed employer but it could be done by the Head of VUM Career Center if that has been agreed upon;
Selecting the right Interns, based on their profiles;
Upon approval, “Student Training Agreement” provided by VUM shall be signed by the Employer, the Employee and VUM. It should indicate the official start/end date of the experience abroad, the name and contact details of the Employee`s supervisor; the experience abroad funding terms and conditions, employee’s main duties, etc.; upon disapproval – VUM shall present another candidate.
VUM Career Center will assist the chosen Employee/s in filling documents, obtaining visas, receiving work permits, buying travel tickets, finding accommodation (if that is not taken care of by the employer), and will fully support them throughout the entire period of the experience abroad;
The Employer will meet the Employee when he/she arrives (not necessarily), and is supportive in matters related to tax authorities;
The Employer will provide induction training for the Employee in regard to health and safety regulations, fire emergency evacuation arrangements; first aid regulations, legionella polices, accident, incident and unsafe condition reporting, est.;
VUM will provide the students with Midterm and Final Evaluation Report which should be filled in by the employer during and at the end of the experience abroad.
Some of the employers : Birchwood Hotel & OR Tambo Conference Centre ; Hilton Hotels ; Kempinski Hotels ; La finca; L`escaleta; Mugaritz; Hotel La Manga Club Príncipe Felipe (Amapola Restaurant) ; Conrad Algarve&Double Tree by Hilton Lisbon ; Sheraton Doha ; Atelie Amaro and many others.