Les Roches International School of Hotel Management has launched a two-degree hospitality program with Kendall College, which is ranked No. 1 in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., for preparing students for careers in hospitality management and culinary positions (TNS Global – 2013 Survey).
The two-degree program seeks to fulfill the hospitality industry’s need for graduates who have both international experience and are multicultural-savvy. According to the TNS survey, more than half (56%) of respondents employed by luxury hotels indicated they would prefer graduates with international experience and only one in five (21%) stated that it would have no influence on their decision.
The two-degree program allows students to combine a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management at the Les Roches campuses in Switzerland or Spain with an extra nine months of study at Kendall College in Chicago. Students will have the opportunity to complete their second Les Roches six-month internship in the U.S. Upon successful completion, they will receive two bachelor-level degrees from Les Roches and Kendall. Students may also apply for a 12-month permit to work in the U.S. and gain practical training.
“Our two-degree program is yet another option for our students to experience hospitality in different countries and cultures, giving them a global edge in the job market once they graduate,” said Sonia Tatar, Les Roches CEO Worldwide. “Les Roches always strives to expand the opportunities for its students. This U.S. experience is an extension of our global integration, mobility and agility.”
In 2013, Chicago had a record 46.2 million tourists visit, including an increase of 14% international visitors, totaling 1.37 million international visitors, with the biggest gain coming from Asian regions. Recently, the mayor of Chicago set the objective of increasing this number to 55 million visitors by 2020. As new high-end hotels are built in the city, they will need to recruit leaders whose talents are unmatched.
“Chicago is quickly becoming one of the top tourist destinations in the U.S., with 46.2 million visitors traveling to the city in 2012,” said Emily Williams Knight, president of Kendall College. “The students from Les Roches are already expertly trained, but coming to this booming tourist city will provide them with a unique perspective on how American and European standards vary and how hospitality professionals can best cater to the needs of those in different environments as well as tourist from across the globe. Our talented teaching staff will only further their knowledge of global trends and prepare them to be sought-after candidates when they enter the industry.”
The program will focus on hospitality management, relevant language skills, as well as the economic and socio-political dynamics of the country’s hospitality and tourism industry. The curriculum and live-in experience will provide students with a global understanding of what it means to be international in the hospitality industry. Classes start in July 2014.
For more information about the new two-degree program, please visit les Roches ‘ website.
