The project aimed to improve the quality, inclusiveness, and internationalisation of gastronomy education in vocational institutions in Serbia, Hungary, North Macedonia, and Romania. Partners shared a need to provide gastronomy students, many from disadvantaged backgrounds, with better access to practical learning, international cooperation, and modern culinary standards. The main objective was to develop a practice-tested guidebook enabling vocational schools to organise international VET gastronomy competitions, including clear rules, transparent evaluation criteria, and inclusive organisational guidelines. The project also strengthened students’ practical skills, creativity, and confidence, ensured fair participation for learners with fewer opportunities, enhanced cooperation between VET institutions, integrated digital and green practices, promoted cultural exchange, and increased the visibility of vocational education. Activities culminated in an international gastronomy competition in Romania, validating the guidebook in practice.
The project was initiated by vocational schools in Serbia, Hungary, North Macedonia, and Romania to improve the quality, inclusiveness, and internationalisation of gastronomy education. Despite rapid sector development, partners faced shared challenges: limited practical training resources, few international skill-testing opportunities, and weak integration of digital and sustainable hospitality practices. Many vocational students, particularly from rural or low-income backgrounds, lacked accessible opportunities to build culinary skills, confidence, and intercultural experience. Schools also needed clear guidelines for organising fair, inclusive, and modern gastronomy competitions aligned with European values. The project aims to jointly develop a transferable guide for international VET gastronomy competitions, strengthen institutional cooperation, and offer students real-world learning. Common rules, evaluation criteria, digital tools, and green practices support modernised VET training, better recognition of vocational education, and equal opportunities in the hospitality sector.