ODISEE partner share what is happing on the NECTAR pilot in Belgium.
For the last number of years a “Chef Gastro-engineering” training programme has been offered to chefs/cooks working, or wishing to work, in healthcare institutions (hospitals, WZC, etc.) In Flanders and the Netherlands. Chefs/Cooks working in health and care settings prepare meals for patients and older adults often who have specific care needs where meals have to be tailored to address these (e.g. malnutrition in the elderly, severe loss of taste due to cancer or other problems, swallowing disorders, etc.). The NECTAR, Erasmus+ Project commenced in 2020 and will develop a new occupational profile for chefs/cooks working in health and care settings, Chef Gastro-engineering, along with a new European curriculum for this profession. The curriculum is currently being piloted in 5 regions across Europe including Belgium and the aim is for it to lead to a new Graduate programme offered by VET providers. Chef Gastro-engineering students in Belgium are currently undertaking their curriculum modules within the Facility Management program offered by the Centre for Gastrology, through the distance learning track.
Additional information in Dutch is shared in this flyer
On May 4 and 5, at the University of Graz, Partners took the opportunity to evaluate the progress of the project, share different experiences and analyze the first results of pilot courses in Italy (Campania and Liguria Regions), Portugal, Austria, and Belgium. A special focus was put on dissemination and scaling up activities and the next steps to define the framework for the CGE Curriculum credit transfer, through the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding.
