The Hospitality Management Academy ohma by winsedswiss in Oradea, licensed by VET by EHL (Vocational Education and Training by École hôtelière de Lausanne) was inaugurated, with the participation of foreign diplomats and representatives of local and central public authorities

The first generation of students who, upon graduating, will obtain professional diplomas recognised world-wide, has begun courses in Oradea within the Hospitality Management Academy ohma by winsedswiss, the only school in Romania operating under the license of École hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL), the most prestigious learning institution in hospitality in the world.

The official inauguration took place on the 19th of September, in Oradea, in the presence of the ambassador of the Swiss Confederacy to Romania, H.E. Arthur Mattli, of the secretary of state in the Ministry of Economy, Energy and the Business Environment – Directorate General of Tourism, Răzvan Pîrjol, of the vice mayor of the municipality of Oradea, Florin Birta, of representatives of the associations and federations in hospitality, together with students of the Oradea academy, trainers and managers from the industry.

The students, aged between 16 and 45, are enrolled in two programmes – Culinary Professional Diploma and Hotel Administration Professional Diploma – and are training for becoming future experts in hotel administration and public catering (culinary). The first generation of students in the academy comes from Oradea, Bucharest, Constanța, Cluj-Napoca.

“We’ve been asked in the past months: Why a hospitality school?” The answer is obvious: Romania needs to rebuild, in a sustainable way, the culture of hospitality and exploit its unique natural potential. This can only be achieved through quality education that places the client in the centre of all touristic activities. The model we used is that of Swiss dual education, which is strongly rooted in economic reality. This system harmoniously combines theory and practice, as well as technical and social abilities, so that, upon graduation, the alumni can harness all knowledge gained during the studies,” says Christine Schillings, CEO of winsedswiss Romania.

Another benefit for students is counselling for integration in the industry, including through identifying traineeships and job offers, through the human capital mediation agency, winsedswiss talent.

Moreover, those who wish to continue with university studies, in École hôtelière de Lausanne, upon finalising ohma courses, will skip the preparatory year in EHL and enter the selection process directly, having this year equated with the ohma diploma.

ohma courses are taught in English, therefore it is necessary that students possess at least a conversational B2 level. The VET by EHL curriculum has English courses included, so students will be able to develop their linguistic abilities and will need to obtain an English language competency certificate by the end of studies. Course materials will be both in English and Romanian.

“We have the infrastructure to run theory courses online, but we wish that teaching, both theory and applications, be held offline, in the ohma centre. So long as the current situation allows, we will go with offline courses, because we want to emphasise interaction between our students and trainers. In regards to practice, students will have the opportunity to polish their skills in hotels and restaurants that we have entered into collaboration with,” says Radu Szekely, educational director of winsedswiss education group.

The Hospitality Management Academy in Oradea is based on a partnership between the Swiss educational group winsedswiss and the town hall of Oradea. Local authorities have made available the space necessary for running the school within the “Partenie Cosma” Economic College, which has been fitted and renovated by winsedswiss in line with the latest international standards.

winsedswiss educational group (WEG), with subsidiaries in Romania, Switzerland, and Serbia, whose CEO is professor Ray F. Iunius, has as its main objective to offer lifelong learning programmes from kindergarten to university and beyond, all the way into retirement. 

WEG (World Institute of Service Education) is an integrated group of educational institutions comprising of professional and vocational programs, soon universities, and post-secondary education schools in the service industry, such as hospitality, retail, healthcare, entertainment, arts, sports management, and others.  For this reason, winsedswiss forges partnerships with the most renowned institutions in their fields.