Hospitable at home on the Wadden Islands

Training young talent for the hospitality industry on the Wadden Islands by connecting learning, living and working.

Aim

The project was launched because tourists rate the Wadden Islands lower due to a shortage of well-trained hospitality staff. This problem has been exacerbated by the corona pandemic and an ageing population. Hospitality entrepreneurs struggle to find staff, which puts pressure on the quality of hospitality and tourist experience.

Gastvrij Thuis op de Wadden aims to reverse this trend by training young people and future hospitality workers in a unique combination of learning, living and working. The project offers a quality boost for the entire hospitality sector on the islands. Through training and guidance, participants gain not only professional knowledge, but also social skills and self-reliance.

The importance for the sector is great: more qualified staff means better service, higher tourist satisfaction and a more attractive image of the hospitality industry. In addition, the project contributes to retaining a young workforce on the islands and strengthens social cohesion.

Target group

Young talent and future hospitality workers (16-35 years) from all over the Netherlands who want to contribute to a strong hospitality sector and a future-proof island community.

Result

The project delivers an accredited training program that combines theory and practice. Participants attend classes through regional vocational colleges (ROCs) and work at hospitality businesses on the islands. They receive a job guarantee, accommodation, and guidance from coaches.

In addition, training programs and materials are being developed that will be made available to the entire sector on a white-label basis. The model is scalable and can be expanded to other Wadden Islands, creating an inspiring example of sustainable hospitality training in the Netherlands.

The Wadden Academy is now fully operational and offers:

Accredited MBO (vocational) training courses at levels 2 and 3 for chefs and hospitality staff across the three islands, and at level 4 on Ameland. Work is underway to introduce a level 4 program on Texel.
A proven work-study concept: four days of work at an accredited training company and one day of education.
Intensive guidance from coaches throughout the entire training period.
Collaboration with dozens of hospitality entrepreneurs on the islands, including job guarantees and housing support.
Practical excursions and education focused on island gastronomy, local products, and sustainability.

The concept contributes not only to attracting new hospitality talent but also to retaining young people on the islands and strengthening the local community.