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Cooking Cultures
Migrants' Integration through Culinary Arts

Programme
Erasmus+
Project number
2019-1-TR01-KA204-074418
Key Action
Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practice
Action Type
Strategic Partnerships for adult education
Topics
Overcoming skills mismatches (basic/transversal) | New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses | Migrants' issues
Duration
Start date 01-11-2019
End date 30-04-2022
EU Grant
EUR 163.040,80

About the project

The Cooking Cultures project focused on supporting low-skilled migrants to enter and progress in the Culinary Sector, one of the main employment niches for migrants both in the EU and Türkiye. Starting from the reality that many migrants work in kitchens and restaurants, often informally and under exploitative conditions, while interest in ethnic cuisines is growing, the project set out to turn this situation into a structured opportunity for employability and integration. The core idea was to provide migrants with the typical (technical) skills and soft/intercultural skills needed in professional kitchens, and to channel them into the labour market through formal, protected employment routes, thereby contributing to their integration into EU societies via decent work.

Objectives

The project aimed to fill gaps in existing training provision for migrants in the Culinary Sector and can be summarised around three main goals:

First, Cooking Cultures sought to identify and assess the specific training needs of low-skilled migrants in the Culinary Sector by analysing both hard skills (e.g. kitchen techniques, hygiene, basic organisation) and soft/intercultural skills (teamwork, communication, dealing with diversity). This included assessing migrants’ prior learning, designing a self-assessment tool, and defining a renewed skillset aligned with labour market demands.

Second, the project aimed to develop migrants-oriented training programmes and materials: a typology of key qualifications and soft skills migrants typically lack, tailored training materials, and an online platform for a digitally capable migrant audience. On this basis, two complementary training courses were created: one for tutors/trainers specialising in Culinary Arts and working with migrants, and one for low-skilled migrants already working or wishing to work in the sector.

Third, Cooking Cultures intended to increase migrants’ employability and integration by offering clear career pathways in the Culinary Sector and by testing the training through pilot courses. This included engaging stakeholders (employers, training providers, sector organisations) to generate systemic impact and to support a shift from undeclared, precarious work towards formal employment. The project’s success was measured through both qualitative indicators (development of professional and soft skills, satisfaction of learners and tutors, interest from employers and providers) and quantitative indicators (number of migrants trained, course completion rates, platform users, multiplier event participants and total individuals reached – at least 500).

Activities

To reach these objectives, Cooking Cultures implemented a coherent set of activities centred around its Intellectual Outputs and supporting actions.

Through IO2 – Prior-Learning Assessment Approach, the partners organised personalised sessions with migrants to assess existing experience in the Culinary Sector and developed a self-assessment tool. This allowed the consortium to map skills gaps and to confirm the crucial importance of soft and intercultural competences alongside technical ones.

Building on this, IO3 – Consolidated Training Scheme focused on the design of specialised training materials, the creation of a migrant-friendly online platform, and the development of two training courses: one for tutors/trainers and one for low-skilled migrants. These courses were then piloted with both target groups to test and refine the content, methods and digital tools.

In parallel, the project organised two-fold training activities and outreach, including pilot sessions, LTT activities (virtually organised), and multiplier events and a final conference to present the training model and its results to Culinary Arts providers, employers and stakeholders. Continuous dissemination ensured that the project and its outputs were visible at local, national and European levels.

Altogether, these activities led to enhanced qualifications and soft skills among migrant learners, validated training resources and an online platform, high levels of satisfaction among tutors and participants, and strong interest from employers and stakeholders, confirming Cooking Cultures as a practical model for integrating migrants into the Culinary Sector through high-quality, targeted training.

Project partners

  • Adana Metropolitan Municipality - 🇹🇷 Türkiye
  • Compass - Beratung, Begleitung und Training gemeinnützige GmbH - 🇦🇹 Austria
  • AKMI KATARTISI EKPAIDEYSI ANONYMI ETAIREIA - 🇬🇷 Greece 
  • SYMPLEXIS - 🇬🇷 Greece
  • Surdurulebilir Kalkinma Dernegi - 🇹🇷 Türkiye

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or Turkish National Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.